Rolling

Working out every day can be a challenge because of muscle soreness. Some soreness is going to happen and you can keep going, but the sore quads (front of thigh) and calves that make it hard just to go up the stairs can keep you from working out the next day. Even worse for me are sore knees! I hurt one of my knees when I was 21 and the other one at 26, and when I work out a lot I feel like they are going to give out on me.

Well, I have a secret cure to share....

It's so simple it's crazy! All last fall my trainer said to roll my muscles when I complained that my knees hurt, and I did it every once in a while when it got really bad, but I didn't really believe it would help. Since the new year I have rolled 4 to 6 times a week and my knees haven't stopped me since! 

I really want to explain WHY and HOW this works, but...just google it: foam roller, or muscle rolling. You will also see lots of pictures of what to do and how to do it. Some of the exercise are really intimidating though, and might not be accessible for beginners, so I took pictures of how I do it.  

For the knees, the important muscle to roll is your IT band. 

Go all the way from hips to just above the knee joint. It's just above the knee where I get knots I need to work on. The hand on my hip is often on the floor for balance. 

The other main muscle I roll is the quads, and I do right in front along with just off to each side. 

(Confidence level: butt pictures! All of the pictures I've seen online of this don't make it clear how you support yourself with the other leg)

I also always need to roll my calves. 

The way I see other people get their calves rolled with a purvottanasana pose (backwards plank) is impossibly hard! I use my hand to push down to get enough pressure. 

It takes a little bit of practice to roll the back, but it helps a lot too. Doing bridge pulses is a good way to build up strength to be able to do this. Reposition for low back to high back. 

Watch your hair!

I just barely realized how to get my glutes. 

Before I tried to get them by just sitting on it and rolling, but I never felt that do anything. 

Each muscle I roll up and down about 5 times, and when a spot hurts I hold it there longer. You know you're doing good when it hurts so bad you feel a litte nauseous, that's a knot that you need to roll extra!

I'm probably missing some important muscles...write in the comments your favorite roll! Or your favorite stretches to help with soreness!

These foam rollers are in the stretching area at the gym. You can also buy them for $20-$30 at Target. Now you CAN work out every day! You're welcome. 

Couch to 5K

I did it! I didn't think I could, and I was afraid to try, but I just pushed really hard and I did it! I felt like I would die halfway through, but the last 1/4 I got my second wind. 

That's probably what I will say when I finish a 5K, but today I said it after jogging for 3 minutes straight. When I started I could only jog for 15 seconds at a time. The couch to 5K program starts with intervals of jogging 60 seconds and walking 90 seconds, so I had to create 3 levels before that of 15, 30, and 45 seconds. 

I started working on it last fall, walking/jogging outside. But then it got cold and rainy, and it took me a while to figure out a schedule that I could get to the gym. On the treadmill I found that my natural jogging pace was 5 mph. After a couple of weeks my shins started hurting, a lot. The gradual progress and walking and jogging intervals were supposed to help me avoid shin splints, so I was frustrated.  I felt myself wincing every time I did a jumping jack, or any other jump. I didn't consult a doctor, because I hate figuring out how to do that, but the internet made me think maybe I was getting stress fractures. Whatever the cause, I needed to back off and come back at it differently. 

This new year, I knew I still wanted to train to run a 5K, but I needed to keep it low impact until I get under a certain weight. I don't think my shins are made to handle the force of this much weight jumping. I decided to go with a "jogging" pace of 4 mph. True, many people can walk this pace. It's a really awkward pace for me, but it's the fastest I can go without leaving the ground. My heartrate goes all the way up and I have to push myself to do the intervals, so I guess it's enough. 

At my new pace, I've been able to keep going 3 days a week for 6 weeks now. My progress feels slow sometimes, but I felt a huge high today from the progress I did make!

2016 FTW

This is what I call my plans for this year (FTW means "for the win"). You may call them "resolutions", or "goals", but it's my plan for losing weight and I'm sticking to it. 

My plan has 3 components:

1. Healthy eating 

2. Cardio

3. Strength training 

For eating healthy, I still can't wrap my head around the "lifestyle" concept. If you tell me I can never eat chocolate again, then I will eat all of the chocolate immediately. But, I am so competitive at heart, that the idea of a "challenge" works for me, I will win all of the challenges. The Advocare 24 day challenge was very doable for me, so I'm thinking that I will do a challenge every month this year, and then take a week break between each to eat the foods I've been missing. This will work well for a few reasons. First, this follows the 80/20 rule I mentioned here, just on a monthly basis instead of a weekly one. Second, when I want and crave a food, writing it down on my "break week" list and knowing I can have it then really helps me move past it. Third, I have found that Spark works really well for me at first, but my body builds up a tolerance so I need to take a break from it to reset its effect.  (Note that you cannot do the herbal cleanse tablets part of the 24 day challenge every month! I don't do that part anyway because it isn't allowed with breastfeeding)

For Cardio, I tried to fit it in last fall, but I didn't make it a priority. This year I plan to do Zumba on every Monday, Friday, and Saturday because those are when they have classes I can get to. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I plan to go to the gym and walk/jog on the treadmills, just 25 minutes for now, followed by some time stretching. It turns out that the kids LOVE playing at the kids club at the gym, so all the time I'm spending there is good for them too!

For strength training, I will continue going to Bootcamp 3 days a week.  On the other days I do it with my friend, we aim for 2 days a week.

That's my plan! What do you think? I have a great reward system figured out, but it's a little long so it got its own post.