Fitness Tuesday: Pushing Yourself

Today I decided to head out to the park and try running again.  Why you ask?  Well, I am not going to give up on running.  My knee has been feeling remarkably better lately, and I wanted to take advantage of that.  I really want to be a runner, and I'm not going to let me knees hold me back, as far as I can control how strong they can become.

I only had about 20 minutes until I had to be back home.  Jason had to get to work, and he was babysitting Baby K.  So, I started right away with a brisk walk.  I walked until I felt my muscles loosening up.

How can I tell this is happening?  Well, the walking doesn't hurt my right hip anymore.  I had surgery 10 years ago on my hip, and the muscles still clench up in muscle memory when I begin exercise.  I had a stress fracture, and it was painful to walk and run.  So, as soon as that clenching pain subsides, I know that my muscles are warming up.  Some days are different than others in how long it takes to warm up.  It is really important to learn how to listen to your body.  Maybe a future post?  Are you interested in such a topic?  Comment and let me know.

Once my muscles were loose, I began an easy jog.  Only a few minutes into it, my knee began shooting with pain.  So, I stopped.  My initial thought was to keep going and push through the pain.  Well, a little thought reminded me that that thought was what got me in this position with an injured knee in the first place.  So I slowed to a very brisk walk.

image via

I saw a couple ahead of me on the path.  They were leisurely taking a stroll, yet they were wearing exercise clothes.  Now, I don't know their situation, so I can't speak about them; I can only speak for me.  I just want to mention that if I was walking at that slow pace, then my heart rate would not be increasing, and I would not be burning as many calories that I could if I would just pick up the pace a little bit.  I say this, because I have been pondering the things that I have been learning HERE at BodyRock.tv, that there is a limit of exercise that you believe that you can do, but the key is to push yourself just beyond that point.  You will feel good physically, and mentally, and you will be slowly getting into better shape!  You don't already have to be in great shape to do difficult workouts.  You just have to change the level of difficulty.  You won't ever get to a healthy weight if you "wait" until you are thinner to do some difficult exercises.  Start now!

Anyway, toward the end of the mile that I walked, I decided that I wanted to try running again.  First I started out doing a brisk high knees walk.  That is a good way to loosen up your leg muscles further.  Then I did a light footed, small step jog.  It wasn't fast, but it was enough to get my heart-rate going, and it didn't hurt my knee one bit!

There are many exercises for you to do at your own level.  Just start somewhere.  One last tip before I go.  I watched an episode of Extreme Makeover: Weight loss Edition.  The trainer was working with a woman who was over 400 lbs.  The first exercise he had her do was kneel down, then get back up, and repeat.  She did it so many times that she was sweating, and she could hardly do anymore!  There are many body weight exercises like this that can get you started.  Just get out of your own head, and push yourself!  (That is really for me) :)

Do you have ideas?  Comment and let me know!

Happy losing!

Evelyn Curtis