Restoration is a Process

     Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to keep you encouraged on your journey to reach your fitness goals by explaining that they shouldn't be expected to be reached over night, and through diligent effort they will eventually be reached.  This is especially true when your current goals revolve around attaining a state of health and fitness that you previously were at.  Examples of what I am specifically talking about this week are varied and include women working to reach their pre-pregnacy body composition, those striving to reach their "high school shape" near a reunion, and any level of athlete getting back at it after suffering an injury.  If you're reading this blog you know reaching your fitness goals requires a tremendous amount of determination and motivation to keep you going.  I have found that their is often an elevated level of frustration to reach fitness goals amongst people who had previously attained them, and are now trying to get there again.  That exasperation is often heightened by the feeling had by knowing what it was like at that particular fitness level, and the loss of not being there now...especially when what brought you down from that state of fitness was mostly beyond your control as is the case with an injury.  It is one of those situations where you cannot say ignorance is bliss.  However, having been able to reach those fitness goals once before, you need to recognize that they are attainable, so there is no reason why they cant be reached again.  You have to remind yourself that to get there the first time around, it didn't happen overnight.  It was a process that took effort and time.  Be encouraged because you can get there again!

     Lets make it personal.  Right at the beginning of 2017 I suffered what I consider to be a freak injury with no clear cause.  I woke up one morning with a sharp pain that traveled down my right arm all the way from my shoulder to my fingers.  I could trace the pain down my arm, and new there was some sort of nerve impingement.  I couldn't recall anything that would have caused it.  And when the pain became so severe that I could barely lift my arm or sit comfortably for more than a few minutes I knew it was time to see a doctor.  I actually saw two.  The first was an orthopedist who gave me a prescription for an anti-inflammatory.  The second was an orthopedic surgeon after I noticed a significant difference in strength between my left and injured, right arms.  Testing and an MRI showed impingement at two levels in my cervical spine.  After a dose of cortisone took away the pain, the doctor's next suggestion was to consider surgery if the weakness hadn't subsided.  My rule of thumb when it comes to surgery for orthopedic problems is it should be avoided at all costs unless you are a professional athlete or incapacitated by the injury, so that was not an option for me.  And with the help of several acupuncture treatments, and the avoidance of many exercises at the gym, I felt comfortable training again after a few weeks.  But even though I overcame the injury, the weakness was still there.  So, I avoided many upper body pressing movements for a few months before I felt strong enough to start performing them again.  And when I did, I had to start my recovery with very light weights.  This lasted for almost six months!  Going from being at one of the top fitness levels I had personally achieved to a much lower level was everything from humbling to humiliating.  There were times in the gym where I was embarrassed with how much weight I was able to handle.  There were times when I wasn't happy with how I looked in the mirror because my training suffered.  There were times when I thought I could never get to again where I once was.  But I wasn't going to give up.  Surely and slowly I progressed at pace I wasn't happy with, but the key was I was in fact progressing.  As I got stronger, I climbed back up the weight stacks and eventually got back to where I wanted to be.  I am still not all of the way there yet, but I am on the right path.  And the only way I got there was by reminding myself, that as frustrating as it was, it was a process and I was on the right path, eventually I would get there.

     A major set back, one that really knocks you backwards, towards reaching your fitness goals is often very frustrating...especially so when it is one that you couldn't avoid.  But a set back isn't the ending, you can still get back to where you once were.  It just takes the hard work, persistence, and dedication that got you there in the first place.  Now I am not saying it would be realistic for an extreme turnaround, like a retired athlete to regaining the performance they had in their prime, as the body does break down over time, its a fact of life.  But what I am touting is that for most of us, you can regain your form, body, health, and fitness level if you work at it.  You just need to recognize that it is a process that will eventually restore you. 

     Women gain body fat while pregnant due to hormonal changes and the nutritional needs of the developing child.  This is normal and healthy.  There is a major change in their body, so much so that they can develop diabetes while pregnant.  But, after the child is born, and the woman's body chemistry normalizes, achieving fitness goals becomes an easier task once again.  When someone suffers an injury, a fracture or a soft tissue tear for example, the body will heal.  Bones heal in a matter of six to eight weeks.  Soft tissue injuries usually take longer, but just think of the number of baseball players who have Tommy John surgery and actually become stronger because of it.  And while it may seem difficult to fit into your old high school clothes, I know many clients who start training later in life and are now in the best shapes that they have every been!  To get there, a key is to remember that it doesn't happen over night, or as the result of a magic pill.  It takes hard work and persistence...it is a process.  And as I have mentioned in other posts, that process is a much easier one if you take care of yourself all the while before you require some sort of restoration.

     Having a fitness goal of trying to reach the level of fitness that you had achieve previously is a healthy goal if it is realistic.  It is equally important to understand that to achieve that again, that it will not happen quickly, but can be attained over a course of time.  Unfortunately some road blocks create situations where you will have to work even harder than before.  But keeping a steady pace with your eye on the prize will keep you motivated along the way.  Don't look for a quick fix.  The healthiest and best way to regain your health is through the arduous restorative process.  And through the diligent work required, you may even come out fitter! Many old cars that go through a restoration come out better than they did from the factory.  Stay strong and fight on!  Getting back to the top of the mountain is a process, but its one that will restore a fit new you!