How Not Working Out Made Me Healthier
About five weeks ago I was functioning in the mode of "intensely active" until I lifted a suitcase that was way too heavy over my head. I then proceeded to exercise, go to dance auditions, practice some deep twisting in yoga and so on throughout the week. A few days later I was at the gym and had my first experience with back spasms. Not pleasant. I'd like to never go through that again. Turns out it was a sacroiliac joint dysfunction and I couldn't do much without tingles and discomfort for at least a week. While this sounds problematic, surprisingly a lot of good has come out of it.
Here's how dealing with that injury (not working out) made me healthier...
(Some of this may seem obvious, but I tend to learn things only when I'm ready to figure them out for myself. )
1. I rested my injury.
Thanks to an amazing yoga therapist, Dr. Tom Alden, I found a physical therapy program that was more than just physical, it was a fully integrated system that considered every aspect of my life as a factor. (An example of why yoga is a very, very good system.) But before I started the PT, the doc gave me some much needed advice. "Go home, have a good cry, and REST." That was hard to hear at first, but I listened and I'm so happy I did. Five weeks later, by combining a slow transition from rest to activity, and majorly focusing on my PT, my back is much better. Now, I'm working toward healing my injury in a safe way without a due date. Okay, so that one should be obvious, but like I said, I'm a stubborn learner.
2. My nervous system calmed down.
When I was training to be a yoga teacher, we had some exposure to Ayurveda, the sister science to yoga sometimes translated as "The Science of Life." It's a complex system, but the most important thing to understand is my dosha. Simply put, my dosha is my constitution or my qualities that relate to all aspects of my life from the micro to the macro. According to my dominant dosha, I'm prone to be naturally active, intense, competitive, and goal-oriented, to name a few. Before my injury, I was pushing from a resting 7 up to an 11, doing way too many activities, plus lots of intense cardio practically every day with no intention of slowing down anytime soon. It was excessive. I was unnecessarily stressing myself out, getting stuck in a cycle of pushing my mind and body without stopping. It took the injury and this month of rest for me to notice an enormous shift. I've become much more at ease and calm. My body had been begging me to slow down, but I didn't stop to listen. So my nervous system sent a signal. Reducing my stress has allowed me to truly relax and give myself flexibility with my schedule (that's huge for me), and I've gained the capacity to move through my days with more awareness.
http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/AUTONOMIC%20HEALTH.htm
3. My digestive system calmed down.
Another common aspect of my Ayurvedic dosha is digestive problems. I've had it all, and I've tried it all, and nothing had seemed to work. I couldn't believe that the moment I adapted my lifestyle post-injury, my digestive problems just vanished. I cannot remember the last time I had such an easy time with food. I truly think it's another effect of stress reduction. Stress is known to cause problems with the digestive tract, so maybe when my nervous system started to calm down, my digestive system did too.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/better-digestion/how-stress-affects-digestion/
4. My frame of mind changed pretty drastically.
Like I said before, I'm a stubborn learner. This situation I found myself in really knocked me off balance at first and forced me to rethink the way I've been going through life. I discovered some pretty huge things. I've learned how to practice and even appreciate mild exercise, like walking. I now walk every day. I've relearned how to eat healthy and balanced without the aid of heavy calorie burning (because some days I WILL rest). But the biggest shift is realizing I don't need to get in shape for my career or my boyfriend or any external factor, but more importantly for MY lifelong health. The habits I make now will be the habits I have forever. And I'd like to make some better, more balanced ones. Now that I know the intense way doesn't always work, and I've found the benefits of going at a slower pace, it's time for me to define a balance for myself.
So I got a Fitbit. (Lol) And I'm going to take my sweet time getting in the best shape I can. Oh, and I'll do it my way, safely, slowly, and with the intention of creating and maintaining a lifestyle. I'm excited to continue healing, become active again, and improve my health. So I'm going to enjoy the Boston marathon today, get inspired, and continue this journey tomorrow.
