Exercise question

[Rajah]

Since I want to make sure I don't hurt myself...

Okay, background. I'm out of shape. Not up to much sustained exercise yet, but I'm trying to build up to that. Included in that out of shape is the difficulty in lifting weights and *holding* them. Unless it's a kitty slung over my shoulder.

On Saturday night, I went bowling with a couple of friends. Only used an 8 pound ball, but since I'm not a weight-lifter I knew I would hurt myself with anything heavier at this point.

I was super sore yesterday, could barely walk, so didn't try doing more than a few stretches and some time on the exercise bike yesterday.

This morning, I'm still really sore in one hip and on the arm that actually swung the ball. (Just a little sore everywhere else) The arm's no really big deal (except I have a hard time grasping/clasping things because the arm is so weak/sore). The hip is the problem. It's stiff/sore/weak enough that I can't balance on that leg without the leg wanting to go out from under me.

So, because of that, I don't think it's safe to go to yoga tonight. What I'm wondering is which should I do at home: more time on the exercise bike until I can stand on that leg without fear of collapse (even if that takes a week), or do I try some of the mild/moderate yoga I can do at home, where I can set up next to the couch and have something to hold on to?

In y'all's experience, which is the better way to go?

 

[ohMom]

that I'm stalking your posts!! he he he - i just posted on your journal!

IMHO - now that I read your hip is going out on you and you can't stand, I would take the night off! Don't push your body beyond it's limitations. Slow baby steps in building up your strength and stamina. Never ever push yourself if you are in true pain (not "I can feel this in my muscles-fatigue-kind of pain, but real honest to Betsy pain!)

Aleve is great for muscles aches, but you need to take it twice a day consistently for it to have it's full effect.

Maybe just do some floor exercises for tonight, are you familiar with yoga enough to do some? Especially stretching type ones, you can do forward bend on the floor, just extend your legs like you were standing, flex your feet and walk your fingers to your feet. I'll try to list the floor ones I know - happy baby, cobra/locust, spine twist, crocodile/up-dog, reverse pigeon, fish, of course corpse. in no particular order but looks like you could spend 15-20 mins easily holding so non-weight bearing poses. Most of all taking the time to slow-down, put on some nice music, dim the lights and just breath, really breath, and stretch and relax. Sounds like a plan to me for tonight! Can I come over?? LOL

From my experience - don't push a potential injury!! You'd hate to be out of commission for a while and have to start your groove all over again!

PM me if you want descriptions of any poses and I'll try me best!

 

[Rajah]

LOL! And I'm stalking your replies -- I just replied to your post on my journal.

I don't know if it's *really* an injury or just a case of weak muscles protesting, but I don't want to take the chance. If it's just weak muscles, forcing them *would* cause an injury, or at least greatly increase my chances of being injured. That's why I did the exercise bike last night (even if I could only do 8 minutes sustained. Again -- baby steps). I have a recumbant (sp??) bike -- one of those with a back on the seat, so it's easy on the back and stuff.

I have a book of poses that I can flip through, but there aren't too many that are sit-down type. *But*, one of the yoga websites I've found (it has these cool animated gifs that show the poses in action) has a good list of them, so I may print those out and put together my own routine for the evening.

What I'm wondering as well is if it's just weak muscles that are protesting rather than a true injury, doing the floor exercises are likely to *help* it recover faster, right? As long as I don't cause true pain. (And yep, I can tell the difference between the muscle-fatigue-I'm-feeling-this pain and real ouch-this-hurts pain). My thought is that the stretching would help it recover faster than the exercise bike, am I right?

I've been doing as much walking as I can today (did an extra run to the cafeteria (1000 feet round trip) then two extra runs downstairs) and I've found that once I get moving a bit, I'm doing better. Still not enough to risk a full routine, but enough better that I think doing a floor routine + walking / bike might be the way to go.

(Sure, come on over!! )

 

[lmhall2000]

But I may start stalking you losers trying to glean more great helps from you!!!

What you're experiencing is repetitive injury soreness- bowling can really sock it to you if you're not used to it in those areas. I would be taking an anti-inflammatory to help with the swelling- and know that it may take 7 days for that kind of soreness to really ease up to where it's not as noticeable. Aleve is probably the strongest over-the-counter choice- but just don't take more than 4 a day for more than 3 days or so.
I think a mild attempt at yoga would actually be helpful- the more you increase the blood flow to those areas (esp. the hip) the better it will feel and will promote healing. I have osteoarthritis in my lower back (happened after a bad accident and it's just built on the injury) and walking saved my back. They tried to have me on bedrest when I'd have an attack- but the walking- really got the blood flowing and I haven't had back pain for several years- stretching also saved me- hence why I think yoga would be good at helping your flexibility.
Drink lots of water- that helps too- and let us know how you feel over the next couple of days- but to me- one day of rest is fine with this type of injury- the quicker you can get up and moving the better you'll feel. I'm not big on taking antiinflammatories or any drugs for that case - but I find that taking 2 aleve at bedtime really helps cut down on the tightness and soreness in the morning when I wake- once I get moving- it's much better.

Good luck- and hope you bowled some strikes!!!
Tara

 

[Rajah]

LOL Tara!

I got one strike and I think 3 spares. By the last game, I was really good at getting 9's.

Yeah, I didn't realize just how many unusual muscles I was using while bowling! LOL! I'm just glad I didn't try bowling Friday because I would have seriously hurt myself if I tried bowling after a full routine of yoga! But I figured if I had trouble holding onto my cross stitch, I had *NO* business trying to bowl that night. LOL! So we went on Saturday instead. So far, I've avoided taking the antiinflamatories -- I'm not big on taking them unless I have to. Other than helping with the soreness, will they actually help it heal faster? In some ways I *like* feeling it sore because that way I don't over-do it and cause further injury. And as long as I'm just sitting here, it's not a problem at all. The arm is the worse one for pain when just sitting. I dunno if I just overtaxed the muscles there or if I actually injured the arm as well, but I'm trying some mild hand exercises and wrist massages to try and get it back in shape.

I also realized I may have bruised that hip because I did slip on one toss and fell on that hip. I had enough gym and dance classes to know how to fall without serious injury so I'm not sure if I even fell hard enough to bruise it, but I may have. And because of the area, it's not exactly somewhere I can check easily to look for a bruise. LOL!

You're giving a more scientific reason for what I thought -- answer seems to be yes, go for some floor yoga but otherwise stay off it until the soreness goes away?

Thanks for the info!!

Depending on my schedule, if I'm still sore on Wednesday but schedule says I can go, I may go to the class anyway on Wed and just let the instructor know what's going on and see if she can suggest anything further including don't attend until it gets better. But until then, I'll stick with the floor exercises.

 

[nativetxn]

I didn't take the time to read all of your replies. I was going to suggest that you go to yoga and do anything you can. If it hurts don't do it.

 

[Rajah]

Just an update -- I ended up doing a 25-30 minute yoga floor routine (with pauses between each pose while I referred to the book for the next pose ) and by the time I finished that I could walk across the house with almost no pain at all, as opposed to the stiffness / discomfort I was experiencing all day. I think I figured out why Captain Jack Sparrow (from POTC movie) walks the way he does -- he went bowling without being accustomed to it. LOL! That's how I was walking all day, anyway. Until I did my yoga.

Then I felt well enough after that that I popped in the Tai Chi tape and tried out the first pose, and YES, I want to do more Tai Chi!

Just did the first pose, but between the yoga floor routine and the 10 minutes of one pose of Tai Chi, I could walk up the stairs with no pain at all!! I was 3/4 of the way up the stairs before I realized it. LOL!

 

[nativetxn]

That is great, Rajah! Sounds like your exercise is good therapy