The Mental Work of Working through Physical Recovery

It has been one week since my foot surgery and hopefully only another three until I can walk again.
The physical recovery has not been as difficult as dealing with emotional issues that come along with an injury/illness. The first few days after surgery were not that tough; the block on my lower leg meant that I did not feel anything below the knee–especially pain. Once that wore off, I began to feel the discomfort. I really wanted to avoid taking pain meds since I don’t like the side effects, so I’ve been icing and trying to take it easy with several doses of acetaminophen daily. Today I wanted to go to morning minyan (prayer services); I got up, showered, got dressed, but was in too much discomfort to go. Big bummer.

The past several days have been difficult since I am so accustomed to doing a lot of the work to prepare for Passover. For those unfamiliar, imagine two Thanksgiving Dinners two nights in a row, but having to start with all new ingredients. In the past, I did a huge amount of the work and my wife pitched in with some sides and desserts. We were so excited to be doing all the preparation for the Seders together this year, but it ended up being all her. I tried to help where I could, but I felt kind of useless.

That feeling was made worse when I started receiving all the emails from the gym that all my clients were being cancelled for the entire month. That is a tough situation for anyone, but when you are just starting out in the industry and trying to build your client base, it feels devastating (even if the real effect may be much less). Since I don’t know what my recovery will be like and whether I will ever be back to where I was nine months ago before the pain began, there is an added level of anxiety. Will I be able to get back to training as quickly as I want? Will I have restrictions? Can I be successful at this new endeavor in my life? All questions swirling in my head.

It is always nice to have an objective party to discuss these issues with, and I did that today. I have in my mind that these four weeks are just a total write-off, but I can use this time productively. I will spend the week studying and hopefully obtaining my Functional Aging Specialization. Getting ready for that basically requires me to sit on my butt and read…I think I can do that this week. I also have to take things one at a time; I think we can all sometimes get into a downward spiral and follow a rabbit hole into the worst-case scenarios. I have to stop myself and let things unfold as they do without getting ahead of myself.

What has surprised me is just how much this recovery from surgery is emotional as well as physical. I have to deal with not working out, which is my usual stress reliever. I have to consider the possibility that my body may not fully recover. I have to face the fact that I am aging; this doesn’t mean that I’m all washed up, but rather that I have to change my approach. Hopefully, that awareness will make me a better Personal Trainer in the long run–especially as I train those in my peer group.

Wishing everyone a Happy Passover, belated Happy Easter, and all the best in whatever you celebrate. I also celebrate the process of healing–physically and emotionally. But it is hard work!

Another reason why Seniors should be Weight Training

In all my courses, we have been taught that working out–and especially weight training–is good for individuals at any age. Current trends are aimed at getting the 50+ crowd to understand the importance of resistance work along with cardio exercise.

I am currently recovering from foot surgery and will be unable to walk for four weeks. I have a scooter and crutches; they are tools, but they cannot perform all the functions necessary to get around. Thank goodness I have been working on building muscle strength over the years. I have found that I can balance on one foot for a while (thanks yoga!), push and pull myself up, hop around my car to get to the scooter in the trunk. It is the difference between having some independence and none at all.

This is an argument that should be made to seniors. Weight training isn’t necessarily about have a killer beach body; we need the strength to help us navigate the Activities of Daily Living. And when we do find ourselves with an injury, hopefully the hard work of resistance training we have put in will allow us to compensate for our deficits (in the long- or short-term).

As someone who has never had to rely on devices to help me ambulate, I have learned a lot in the last few days. I get why we have extra-wide handicap spaces. I get why we have ramps. The ADA has gone a long way to making public places accessible. If, however, we lack the basic strength to make use of these accommodations, what is the use?

We are never too old to lift weights. Muscle degradation does not need to be in our future. Seniors: get off of those treadmills a few times a week and get to the dumbbells! You’ll be glad you did.

When a Trainer needs a Trainer

Last week I went to Columbus and signed up for a training session with my long-time personal trainer. It had been 8 months since my move, and frankly I was a little nervous. I’ve had some health setbacks and was worried that I had atrophied while I was gone.

It was a tough workout but I made it through. What it made me realize–which is kind of like a “duh”–is that there really is a benefit to working with a trainer. Of course, as a personal trainer myself, I see the results in my clients. So many of them are reaching their fitness goals, have greater stamina, improved balance, and have taken control of their health. Sometimes it takes a trainer–not a doctor or family member or friend–to push you beyond what you think is your capability. As I said in a recent blog post: “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”

I left Columbus knowing that I may not need to hire a personal trainer, but that it makes sense for me to ask one of my fellow trainers (which I did) if we could work out together. We had a short 20 minute session today. He told me that he pushed himself because I was there, and I certainly went beyond my usual. It felt great!

I know this sounds self-serving, but if you feel like you are in a rut, not getting the results you want, and that you are continually playing out the same fitness drama…seek professional help. I did. You can too! 🙂 Personal Trainers make a difference.

Simple Rules for Fitness

Several years ago an associate recommended to me the book, Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World by Donald N. Sull and Kathleen M. Eisenhardt. Although the book is really directed at the business world, it has applications far beyond that field.

The argument made by Sull and Eisenhardt is that often we seek complex solutions to problems (or we don’t seek them, but they end up being the solution we go with) when simple rules can serve just as well. The process involves getting down to the roots of the problem–understanding what is truly at work–and then applying a consistent set of rules that correspond to the values/qualities/outcomes we seek.

For example, if someone is looking for a person to fill a position at a company, s/he may receive hundreds of applications. That person may put together a team to go through the applications to find candidates who might fit. Those applicants can then be re-reviewed, etc. The Simple Rules philosophy would have him/her set very limited criteria (just a handful or less) and eliminate all those who do not fit from the get go. This cuts down on the amount of work and speeds up the process, while leaving little room for subjectivity. This is, of course, not a perfect approach…but we do not live in a perfect world. We live in a complex world, and sometimes the best approach is to simplify.

What does this have to do with fitness? Often when individuals seek to improve their fitness they come up with plans that are too complicated; they become more trouble than they are worth. Take a diet plan, for instance; counting calories, weighing portions, keeping track of calories burned in exercise might be too much for some people–especially those starting out. It is intimidating and overwhelming. The Simple Rules approach would say “come up with a few behaviors to change that are simple;” base them on an honest assessment of where you think your weaknesses are. Examples could be: it’s ok to fill my plate, but no seconds; eat out only once per week; no “grazing” after dinner; or no calories from drinks. These are not complicated and don’t require overthinking. Choose a few and change the behavior.

When I started to get more serious about my own fitness, the Simple Rules philosophy was central to my initiative. I started by committing to seeing a personal trainer for an hour each week, doing cardio at least 4 times a week for 30 minutes, and not eating after dinner (except for very special occasions). The results were easy to see and I could sense the progress. Over time, I have changed the rules, but always kept them to a few, and simple enough that I don’t need a paragraph to express it.

What do you think? Simple Rules…too simple or simply a wonderful idea? At the very least, I think it’s worth a try for those who find diet and exercise to be too overwhelming/complicated/intimidating.

Intermittent Fasting

Today we will skip “Recipe Wednesday” because it is the Fast of Esther; this fast day runs from sunrise to sunset and commemorates the fast that Esther and the Jewish People undertook before her meeting with King Achashverosh.

There has been a lot written about fasting over the last few years, and much of it is promising. Research indicates that intermittent fasting (not a complete fast, but fasting for parts of the day or parts of a week) may not only help with weight loss, but lower insulin levels in diabetics and pre-diabetics. T

I have been following my own form of intermittent fasting for several years now. Once dinner is over–whenever that is–I stop eating. Before I put this “rule” in place, I used to graze all night long to the tune of hundreds of calories. My eating does not take place 24/7 but is now limited to certain times of the day. Note that others have their own systems. I know of some folks who eat from 7-9 am, 12-1 pm and then from 5-8 pm; there is no snacking between those periods.

The attached article from Harvard was published last year and gives a pretty clear summary of the latest findings, as well as what exactly intermittent fasting (IF) is. As I mentioned above, there is more than one model for IF. Do some research and see if this is something that you might want to try yourself.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156

In the meantime, wishing those of you who are fasting a Tzom Kal, an easy fast…and a Happy Purim!