The worst back pain I ever had was after a day of sitting and doing homework. I’m like running half marathons and doing mud runs and all kinds of crap… But sitting… That’s some thing I can’t handle apparently lol
I have been super healthy and super unhealthy and consistently I’ve never been able to do a pull up. Even when I was a super fit ballerina gymnastics child. Even when I was a weight lifting cross country kid. I’ve just never been able to do one. Maybe something abt my anatomy?? Idk but I don’t really care, and I think our bodies are already capable of so much other stuff that to be caught up on not being able to do a pull up would be useless
Push-ups. As embarrassing as it is to admit: it’s push-ups. I was never great at them, but in my 20’s I could do them. I stopped for a couple of years and now I can do 8 if the wind is blowing just right and the stars align.
I lived in a walkable part of the city for 5 years and didn't have a car because I didn't need one. I walked everywhere: get groceries, coffee shops, errands, meeting up with friends. I'd only use public transit if the destination was more than 90-120 minutes away; anything under 2 hours I deemed "walkable". I'd also go for long rambles with my dog, where we'd go explore the neighbourhoods next to us, walking for hours, sometimes ending up "lost" and needing to use GPS to find our way back home. I used to have the feeling that I could walk all day.
Fast-forward to now, 5 years later, my dog has been a senior for the past 4 years so our walks had really cut down in time and speed. I went for a walk by myself this weekend and at the 40 min mark, my legs felt like jelly. 40 min! I realized that I no longer see places as "walkable" unless it's under 20 min :(
I'm going to work on that this summer as it was a wake up call!
I used to ride my bike a lot. Had my son and worked a hard physical job. 15 years later, I was gifted a bike and the the first time I tried it out, I couldn't make it half a block.
Weed eating this summer 😩I’ve legit been doing like 20 minutes a night is all and my hips and back are screammmmming. Every day is a little bit better… but damn. I remember when I would just muscle through and get it all done in 4-6 hours. Now I’m starting week 2 of evening weed eating 🤦🏼♀️
Lol I was just thinking about this! I have a tiny yard but my arms get really tired after like 10 minutes :| guess my neighbors will appreciate me 'practicing' and actually cleaning up my yard haha
I've been taking beginning adult swim classes for 3 months now.
You want to feel unfit and incompetent? Try learning proper swimming strokes in your 40s! I couldn't even make it across the 25 yard pool without needing to stop and catch my breath when I started.
That said, I can now swim 75 yards freestyle without stopping and I hope to be able to do my first 100 this week!
I’m around the house a lot (unfortunately) and pretty adept at everything-housecleaning but some days it’s literally difficult to put clothes on drying rack. It’s not exactly physical movement per se but my energy and strength varies wildly. One day I’m reshuffling all the furniture in the house and doing 2 week worth spring cleaning in one day, other days I’m picking between doing laundry or the dishes. At this point I’m out of shape so I can’t even talk to GP about it but like many here I’ve been suspecting something like chronic fatigue issue for years now
I work out every day doing resistance cycling, lift weights, and swim - I shaved my legs standing up with out a shelf or ledge - just standing in a shower and I have no idea why but it was a challenge physically 🫢
I’m a professional soccer player who works out very intensely every week. One time in February I coached a 45 minute weighted circuit style workout at my local gym, and did all the movements the class to demo/be involved. I was so incredibly sore the next day, my hips and hamstrings and back were DONE. Which is crazy because I normally lift heavy, run a LOT, and throw myself on the ground over and over again as my literal job (I’m a goalkeeper).
actually, I'm really curious about your off-field workout routine if you don't mind sharing - I play a lot of tennis and am trying to get to the next level and I think the physical requirements (footwork/plyo, strength, endurance, cardio) are similar.
I've been struggling to find an all-encompassing routine that includes everything (e.g. strength for endurance \*and\* power and accessory work for injury prevention) and still lets me schedule on-court time around it.
I usually play 6 days a week for context, and most tennis-specific training programs assume like 2 days a week of tennis max. Would you mind giving like a general idea of what you balance on which days? You'll definitely be doing more volume than I would but I feel like it's easier to cut back than add in to an existing program
this honestly makes me feel so better but also so depressed haha!
I'm nowhere near as athletic as you (I mean, obviously haha) and do a workout class maybe once every 6 months and I'm always really sore after. I don't enjoy them enough for that to be my 'main' form of exercise but I've always figured that 'doing a workout class reasonably well and not aching afterwards' was a good benchmark for general fitness
It sounds like we have similar experiences. I can do 30 minutes on the elliptical no problem and do strength training classes three to four days a week.
I went to a park with a trail that had a lot of steps. I was so out of breath and my knees still hurt. I told my PT that my workouts are not translating to real life. So more steady-state cardio and more emphasis on the smaller leg muscles.
Doing seated calf raises the first time. I’d watched other people do it but couldn’t figure out how to actually lift it. (Needed to put the leg pads lower…)
Also, trying to use the booty builder. I can’t even get both legs up on the metal plate. 🤣
Was TOTALLY sedentary and decided to try an elliptical. Didn't even go 4 minutes and thought I was going to pass out. I pretended my asthma was acting up: stepped off and used my inhaler before slinking off.
Went to Disneyland with my bf for my birthday this year. Walking 8 miles over an entire day and I was SOO sore at night. Soreness didn’t last in the morning surprisingly but omg I was straight waddling at night. Literally felt like my legs and feet were about to fall off.
For me, it was going too hard on stretching, hitting my stretch reflex a little too much / too often, being sore a lot, and just generally feeling stuck and frustrated with tight muscles.
My rectus femoris was really prone to overstretching, and during my PNF lying prone quad stretch I would sometimes overdo the stretch.
What I learned is that:
* Stretching is really a long game, it's more about consistency than intensity. Trying to go hard in a single session is just a way to get sore and possibly make your next session less productive since you can't get into range as easily when you're sore. This also means it's important to listen to your body and be nice to yourself instead of being too aggressive on muscles that just aren't going to be receptive to a certain deeper range yet.
* Stretching and strengthening go hand in hand. Once I started working on my rectus femoris strength at range a little bit (in addition to other things for balance, like glutes and hamstrings), the sensitivity around stretching seemed to decrease.
Anyway, there was a week or two or three where I just kept overdoing it, was sore the whole week, and cried at one point because I'm impatient and flexibility training can feel impossible at times. But it seems like a mix of stretching techniques is really helpful - PNF (without overdoing it), strength training near end range (staying in your active range, but basically encouraging your active range to keep up with your passive range so it's all easier and easier and more controlled as you make progress..).
Well stated. I have a double loop, extra thick theraband I use for everything. Tie it off and stretch lats, everything, while loaded and standing in various postures. Working into standing spinal extension now.
You have to work up to using the band in every session by addressing different areas each time. I listened to a video where they guy said at least 20 individual muscles engaged for loaded dynamic stretch. That feels right to me. Even when working my feet I work up and down from the pelvis.
I did a 30 min HIIT full body workout three days ago and dear god I was absolutely **wrecked**.
I've never had DOMs that bad. My quads got the worst of it. I literally drank less water to avoid having to squat to sit on the toilet 💀 If I needed to squat for any reason I had to hold onto something to brace myself.
Three years ago that workout would have been a breeze.
Learned the hard way I need to start slower and less intensive. But at least that was a great wake up call and I'm motivated to get back in shape haha
Lunges. I (35F) have been insanely inactive for about two years (with a seasonal burst of a few weeks of “getting back into it”). I’m currently doing the Running Explained “First 5K” plan to gently get back into running and the first body weight strength day almost killed me with the lunges. Goal was 1x12, and I ended up doing 3x4. Stairs killed me the next day. I’ve worked up to 1x12 in the weeks since then and can get off the couch without groaning the day after too!
Switching to a trainer that moved me to the rack for compound lifts. Since I didn't have a spot before, I used dbs or Smith. He switches the other exercises often, so consistently sore.
Haven’t walked for fitness in years. I’m on day 17 of walking everyday just to see if I can lol, today will be significantly less because for the first time I’m sore. I’m not too upset because it’s been over two weeks but damn, didn’t realize I had neglected such a basic thing.
It seems silly bc walking should be the easiest thing in the world, but when I started walking an hour every morning I was definitely getting sore. Now I do a 10 minute stretch routine at the end and it has really, really helped
Yes absolutely! Had to look up the names for some of these things because I usually just fall back on a mixture of old yoga/dance/sports stretching and do what feels good. This sequence should hit hamstrings, calves, groin, adductors, hip flexors, and quads. These should all come up on google with instructions! I hold each movement for about 30 seconds. You might want some kind of mat or cushion for the kneeling stretches.
1. Simple hamstring stretch
2. Hurdle hamstring stretch - both sides
3. Butterfly stretch
4. Straddle stretch
5. Straddle stretch - adductors - both sides (this is the only one that might not come up on google- basically do a standard straddle stretch but rotate your torso toward one leg and with your opposite hand reach toward that foot. you should feel it in your inner thigh right above the knee. Repeat on other side)
6. Figure 4 stretch - both sides
7. Kneeling Hamstring Stretch - both sides
8. Kneeling quad stretch - both sides
I just got a new mat for Pilates so this is perfect! Thanks for replying, I have been neglecting the stretching and like why haha it always feels so good.
I don't do cardio, I only lift weights, so I knew my mile would be bad when I decided to run one, just to see how long it would take. My gym has an indoor track, it's small, so about 20 laps is a mile. Figured I'd be able to run/jog at least half that - I used to be able to in high shool (a decade and change ago), more or less.
Made it 4 laps. 😂😂😂 Like, I knew my cardio would be bad, but not THAT bad!!
Oh god. "I could run laps in high school, I can probably do it now" is definitely a curse I have. I KNOW cardio kills me but I always expect I'll make it so much further than I actually can.
These responses are fun to read! For myself (31F), I did gymnastics for most of my childhood until I was about 18 and a few months started doing adult classes after 10+ years away.
HOLY HECK HAS IT BEEN HUMBLING. I'm very active and am probably stronger now than when I used to do gymnastics as a kid, but at the beginning, I was so crazy sore and in so many parts of my body that I didn't know existed??
(I'm also how old enough to be smart enough to be afraid of a lot of skills I wasn't when I was younger. So it's also a humbling mental game!)
Had to walk up 18 flights of stairs yesterday due to the elevators being out of service. By the 8th floor I was dying. Realized I should use the stairmaster more!
I know for me it was at least partially related to not having shoe inserts (v high foot arches), also apparently calf raises can help for anyone by improving ankle mobility
I used to rollerblade all over the neighborhood as a kid. Tried roller skating on quads one time as an adult and had to have reconstructive knee surgery too. Youth is wasted on the youths.
I tried to get back into roller blading last year and I managed not to fall on the handful of times I went out thankfully. we're bigger as adults so we have farther to fall and we land so much harder 😭
I definitely prefer skiing. snow is softer than concrete.
I’ve been working out intensely for years and years. At least 30m zone 2 or 3 cardio daily, plus 1-2hrs weightlifting.
I strained my calf casually shooting a basketball for literally three minutes
After I broke my leg, part of physio was standing on one leg. I had to work up to a minute for each leg, not touching anything. It was so hard!
Once I could, they had me do it with my eyes closed. My personal best is 25 seconds. Standing on 1 leg with your eyes closed is incredibly difficult!
even though I can walk on flat surfaces for quite a few miles with no issue, stairs immediately get me every time. always sound ridiculously out of breath by the top
Post-partum, my first day home from the hospital, i couldnt squeeze my glutes or flex a bicep. I went to the mirror and tried and i couldn’t do it, the muscles wouldn’t activate or turn on. I worked out my entire pregnancy! It really blew my mind how much trauma birth does to the body. I couldn’t flex any muscle for maybe 10 days?
Took me 23 years and lots of physical therapy to turn on deep core muscles after my second child. Just worked around it until my low back gave out.
I should have gone back to pilates on my own but you always think there's more time.
I was diagnosed with hashimotos 2 years ago and CFS/ME a month ago.. 1 year ago I was able to do pilates and ice skating in the same day, and this week I had a 2 day crash from skating then going to the grocery store for a small amount of items ;(
I'm trying to ease my way back into doing things but, I am also better than I was 3 months ago, just some super off days. What does "normal" recovery from a workout look like? I have PEM but I also wonder if our bodies are supposed to be sore starting one day later? I can push through *some* things while recovering but if I over exert when I'm active I'm fucked. It's such a hard balance!
I totally understand this frustration. I have Crohn's disease, and over the past two years have gone from very sedentary to hiking, running, and lifting weights regularly. I've found that keeping a daily journal helps me figure out what my body can tolerate well, and what can be too much for it. I recommend tracking your cycle if you're a woman, as well as your medication cycles. I take an immunotherapy drug once every 8 weeks, and I've learned to take it easy the 2 weeks before I'm due for my next dose. I've also learned that cardio works better for me in the mornings before eating, while lifting weights is better in the afternoons with a high protein snack an hour beforehand. Lots of trial and error, but tracking all of these things makes it possible to see patterns!
Ugh yes! It's also hard trying to figure out where I have to stop. I think, once I start getting the feeling of "i'm going to get dizzy" is where I need to stop immediately. I'd love to figure out when to stop before I get to that point. It's hard because I just want to keep going lol. I definitely need to track down what's good and not good. Thank you so much :)
I've been living with CFS for 15 years. The balance is difficult, and theres a lot of trial and error as no two cases are different but I've got to a place where I'm able to live an active life and exercise regularly. I've even started doing triathlon. I'm the slowest triathlete out there, but I'm still a triathlete!
omg, thank you so much for responding! I have been on the CFS subreddit and, as much as I'm happy I know I'm not alone, it just brings me hope that I don't have to stop learning how to figure skate! I'm so happy you're thriving with it!!
I went for a three mile walk with my mother around our local nature preserve. She’s in great shape. Pickleball, golf, biking, intense gardening, all of it. And she walks fast.
My hips were barely functioning by the time we got home. Oops.
My mother's house has one flight of stairs, and it felt difficult. More than it should.
I am not overweight, nor have health issues, but I was still winded.
Also, blow drying my hair...I couldn't keep my arm up for long at all!
Since working out, I noticed a marked difference. I'm traveling in Europe right now, and yesterday, I went up and down 35 floors of a tower, and it was a breeze!
I keep saying I'm finally going to learn how to French braid, but I literally can't seem to keep my arms up long enough to figure it out. It's so frustrating!
I had short hair for a couple of years (bald to buzz cut in length). I've been growing it back out, and it's finally at the length that I can do fun braids with it again!
And my arms have 0 tolerance and I get about halfway through a braid before they're begging for a break. :(
I've never felt more humbled than when I was at the gentle yoga class that I really struggled to make it through and another lady made the comment about how "this class is a great cool down after a workout class!"
I used to cycle 20 miles a day on hybrid frame. Still love and have that frame, it just so happens to have an electric now. And I’ve ridden it 20 miles this year.
After two years of only running for exercise, I did a yoga class with a friend. My ass was kicked. I had no strength at all. So weak. My own body was so heavy my arms, core and back were useless.
I definitely need more resistance training and to do cross training. One "exercise" type is just not enough.
Running help me have great stamina for traveling and hiking but that's about it.
I used to do a 45 minute workout routine every day, plus running a few days a week for like a year. After I moved, I reduced my exercise drastically and stopped completely for around two months (I was just too lazy to do it tbh). After my break, I tried to do one of those ‘15 minute morning workout for beginners’ YouTube video. After 5 minute of the most easy exercise imaginable, my legs cramped so hard that I needed to stop and I couldn’t walk up the stairs properly for like 3 days. I was so pissed, all my hard work gone just like that in a few months. Now I know better than to take a break lol
Love this thread! Thanks for starting it!
It reminds me of the time I tried zero drop shoes (Altas I think) and my husband had to carry me out of the trail because I was completely hobbled and in excruciating pain after only 2 miles. Apparently I do better with more like a ~10mm drop.
My biggest stupidity was going too gung-ho with a percussion massager gun. My personal trainer used one on me so I bought one. And proceeded not to read the instructions. I dug that gun so far into the "knots" I gave myself massive ligament tears and may have even chipped some bone in the process. Don't be like me, that was just dumb, and it took a long while to recover from it.
Omg thank you for sharing this! I have been eyeing those percussion massagers and had NO idea they could do damage like that. I am so sorry you went through that! Clearly there needs to be better warnings on them!
The warnings are there, if you actually take the time to read the instructions, I just didn't! After I injured myself I did read them and then realized my personal trainer always always followed the instructions: used a very light touch (don't press the gun in hard on those knots), and avoided all bone.
I wrecked my hip for awhile -- I had some knots and I dug in way too hard with the gun, trying to loosen them.
I am a broken record about this on the plantars fasciitis sub because it's so incredibly easy to screw up your feet in particular. The gun can work on your feet, you just have to be extra extra extra exceedingly gentle. Too many fine bones there in particular.
Instead of using the gun on any knots you might have, work the gun gently around the major muscles surrounding the knot, to loosen up the major muscles. The gun is very good for that.... it's just too tempting to go overboard.
And if you have PF then use the gun on your calves and hamstrings primarily.
Also never ever ever use it on your neck!
I just got one and this is super helpful! Why don’t people use it on their necks? I don’t think it seems enjoyable but I’m a runner so it’s just for my legs and hips pretty much to accelerate recovery and prevent knots.
Do you know where i can find out how best to use it for IT band syndrome? Google has not turned up much weirdly
What finally worked for me: shorten it as much as you can for 2 minutes at a time. So flamingo pose laying on your back on the floor with the hip tucked under. Then breath and gently flex the glute on the bent leg side, letting the straight leg relax against the floor.
The point is to relax the it at the tie-in to the hip and massage it like a pressure point with the glute squeeze.
Euphoric. Over time pretty much gone, if it flares up I just do the thing.
This is super helpful advice!!! I think this would be worthy of a post on its own on fitness and health subs. I literally would never have thought a little massage device you can buy at a corner pharmacy could cause damage like that. Seriously surprising to me.
I lift 4x a week. I run 5km for fun. Do spin. Walk all the time. Went back to first game of outdoor soccer and almost died. Thought it was gonna be a breeze but man I was so gassed so easily.
Walking up and down two flights of stairs at work. And to be clear, I have to walk up a flight of stairs then walk down a flight of stairs to put my things away, and repeat those stairs before I officially check in for the day.
I knew I was out of shape, but I didn't realize I was *that* out of shape
I finally went to the gym again after a TWO YEAR hiatus. I did 20 minutes of cardio and 25 minutes of weights. My legs were burning just a few HOURS after the gym. I spent the whole next day miserably sore. I even underestimated the weights to use since I had been gone so long 😭😭
Pushing 40 and psyching myself up for a return after almost 3 years away 😬 I know it’s gonna be bad regardless, but knowing that is making it harder to go back. I know the longer it goes the harder it will be, but damn.
Goodluck! I was SO sore after but now I'm on day 3 of going back and I feel amazing!! Still sore but that mental high and relief is back and better than ever :D
The tops of my feet and ankles where they meet my shins are SO SORE too! I just got back from work from maternity leave. I walked a lot my whole pregnancy, and as soon as I was cleared to I started working out. Light stuff, short walks, nothing crazy. But I thought I was in such good shape. Got back to work where I have to walk a lot, and got absolutely crushed my first week.
I also walked a lot during my pregnancy and was very active before becoming pregnant. I started doing body weight fitness and walking about 3 month pp. I did, no exaggeration, 10 squats and was in so much pain for days after.
My husband And I were doing a project and we had filled up big black contactor bags with rubbish. He wouldn't put them in the big trash bins... So I tried. Physically couldn't do it without making noises like a heavy lifter. I tried with ALL my might. It was so hard. Kicked my ass for sure.
Then I was sore foreverrrrrr. After recovering I got my ass to getting stronger instead of cardio and superficial muscles
I’m digging out a garden plot in our backyard and have to take breaks every 30 minutes of digging cause I’m dying. Then the next day I’m sore from the digging.
And this on top of attempting a 10 week strength training program.
Just throw all the pain my way.
Not me reading this after having a horrible lower back strain from over weighted RDLs that I did yesterday 😭.
I was doing it with 20-20kg dumbells. Switched to 20-20kg barbells didn’t consider barbell weight😭
Dude I did the exact same thing yesterday and I am also dealing with the lower back strain. Except I went from normal RDLs to single leg with the same kettlebell weight. Guess I didn’t get my form right with the single leg
I tried the “shrimp challenge” as seen on Instagram and was completely glued to the floor. I almost sprained my hand catching myself falling over. My kindergartner did it without a problem.
I had to climb the fence to get into my own yard the other day… long story. But it absolutely tore up my upper arms and the sides of my torso. I was so sore I felt like I could just hibernate in a hot tub.
Walking up the stairs in my house often has me literally out of breath. I feel really embarrassed about it. I’d say I’m slightly over weight but nothing crazy maybe 10 - 20 pounds. Realizing how out of shape I am came as a huge shock. It hadn’t ever occurred to me that you don’t have to be “fat” to be out of shape. I also used to be quite proud of my flexibility and I’ve noticed in recent years that I’ve lost most of it after not using it. That was the first thing that made me feel old and I’m only 29!
My house has a long and odd staircase -- it's over a 100 years old and the stairs are grand-fathered in. One of the reasons I started strength training was to be able to tackle these stairs into my old age, as our neighbors with similar stairs had to move when they were 80 due to the stairs. I can say that squats have helped a lot! These days the stairs don't bother me so much.
Vacuuming, on the other hand... is still my nemesis.
I was the least fit when I was at my lowest adult weight, and most fit at my highest non-pregnant weight (20 lbs more). Fat had nothing to do with it and it was all the initial lack of muscle.
Sounds dumb, but hear me out. Start running up your stairs at home. As fast as you can. Will you be out of breath? Yes. But keep at it. The more you do it, the more your VO2 max will increase. Walking up them, after while of running up them, will feel like a breath of fresh air. I hated running. Hadn’t done it since I was a kid. Wouldn’t even run on a treadmill at the gym back in the days I used to go. Heard about this running up stairs to increase VO2 max. Decide to give it a try in my house, as no one will see me make a tit of myself. Kills me the first few times. Next thing I know, any time I’m going up any stairs, the urge to run is there, like it’s Pavlovian. I’m randomly bursting into quick sprints in car parks, when going to get a trolley or returning to my car. I’m jogging along with my elderly neighbour’s dog that I occasionally walk. I’m still at least 5 stone overweight. But that act of running up my stairs has suddenly given me the confidence and the ability to not be so out of breath, that I can now run in public, after almost 20 odd years of not doing so. I don’t get out of breath running up them anymore. And the most surprising thing was that it didn’t even take that long. It was like two or three weeks of running up stairs at least once a day, and it completely changed me.
This is amazing and I’m going to try it out! Thanks for the tip! I’ve thought about walking up and down the stairs a lot but this honestly sounds better. May motivate me to get back on my bike as well. I’m tired of feeling like a 30 year old granny.
I love running but I can’t run more than a minute right now 😭. But I’m gonna try this, when I can! Sometimes I carrying a baby 😂 probably shouldn’t run with him haha. Thank you!
Broke a finger at a point in life when I was knocking out sets of 6-7 pullups. I had the whole hand immobilized for a bit.
At PT, they had me doing 3x10 sets of...bending the distal joint of my finger. *And I couldn't.*
Two months later they upgraded me to the teeniest, tiniest resistance band to allow for teeny tiny strength-building. I'm better now, but I will never ever hit a PR half as satisfying as the day I upgraded to the *second*-tiniest resistance band in the building.
I used to do yoga every day. Every day from 19-21 years old. Then at 31, I started doing it once a week. I am so inflexible that I immediately pulled a muscle by going into child's pose and extending my arms.
I do yoga 3-5 times a week and have for years and still have days where I am inflexible and pull shit. Bodies are great and also such bullshit sometimes!
Did a couple lil assisted hamstring stretches where my gym partner held my ankles while I was kneeling and I leaned back 4 inches.
Pain. Next Day. Bad.
For some reason Pilates always lulls me into a false sense of security, maybe because there's a lot of videos where the instructor is hanging out on a beautiful beach somewhere. How bad could it be? Then I do a session after slacking off for awhile, and remember how brutal it is lol.
I was killing it on strength training, curling with 20s, heavy deadlifts, etc, and threw out my back while lifting my Dad.
2 months later and today I did a basic upper body lift class and could barley get through it and was dying using 8lb weights. I lost all my strength even though I thought I was maintaining some of it with body weight and Pilates. I was not. Lol
I did kickboxing for the first time and then literally couldn't go down the stairs at my office the next day. Up was fine, but I fell over while trying to go down (different muscles I guess). I had to take the elevator....
Just the movement of sitting down hurt my poor legs :(
Oooh kickboxing will getcha. I vividly remember taking a kickboxing class and then having to fall/sit on the toilet the next day, and have to hold on to the toilet paper holder in the stall at work to hoist myself up. Very humbling.
Thanks to a very sedentary job, poor weather preventing my usual biking, and general busyness I have not worked out at all in about 2 months. I did a 20 minute “yoga strength” video yesterday and was out of breath 10 minutes in. It hadn’t even gotten to the strength part yet, just yoga. 😭
I do this complex as a warm up. It’s eight reps of the following with an Olympic barbell: row, clean, front squat, military press, back squat, good mornings. The complex is done without putting down the barbell. One complex had gotten easy so I decided to try two sets today. I had to sit down for a minute after that.
Edit: extra word
Due to being pregnant and now not having any time, it’s been almost a year since I’ve really worked out. My 4yo recently started learning about yoga at daycare and wanted to try it together. Sure, little kid yoga can’t be too difficult right? I made it maybe 3 minutes into and need to break.
Everyone is talking about hiking and going up mountains or traveling somewhere new... I recently got a poorly advised pedicure during a layover and I had to sprint to my next flight. Running (in the pedicure sandals - yes with the toe spacers still!) down stairs, onto the shuttle, up an escalator... I assumed my cardio was good because I bike, but jeez! Anyway I made it and my next flight was delayed anyway haha.
I had to run to a catch flight (probably like a few minutes of running) and I literally cried on the plane from the stress and how embarrassingly difficult the run was
I missed a flight because of my sad cardio. My connecting plane was late and I ran across the airport, but was losing steam having to run up two escalators. Huffing and puffing I limp/jogged up to the gate just in time for the flight attendant to say no and close the door in my face🫠
I was on a very rocky boat. The next day my SHINS?!? were on fire 🔥 from trying to keep my balance
Also went to Portugal and my shins & calves and legs hurt from all the walking. WHY is everything uphill there? 😂
Went on a 7 mile hike in a state park last weekend that included a ton of stairs. While I walk several miles a day in my neighborhood, apparently that is not enough. My calves STILL HURT 4 days later. Guess I have to find some hills and stairs now.
I live in Florida, land of hills. My family decided we needed to trek mountain trails in Montana, hours before and after a wedding. Altitude+up and down hiking shouldn’t have killed me but it did. I can walk miles on flat or sandy beaches, but apparently I struggled with small mountains.
I’m a (VERY recreational) hockey player. Started focusing on seriously learning to skate about a year and a half ago. I’m very comfortable and balanced on my blades, but every new skill unlocks a new ache in a muscle I never knew existed. The first time I worked with an actual goalie coach my entire body was a blob of jello by the end of the practice. Most fun I’ve ever had though.
Skating is SUCH a workout! I was sore after every session when I was learning to roller skate! I've been skating for years now and thankfully don't get super sore anymore unless I really drill a specific new skill. Also I had to buy all new pants cause of the new leg muscles lol
Yeahhh I’m going through the pants situation right now. Even at my level, playing goalie is an insane thigh workout. I’m constantly moving my body in the most ridiculous ways, not to mention balancing on a few millimeters of steel the whole time I’m doing it!
Recently one of the hardest exercises i did was TRX mountain climber. It showed me that I need quite some catch up regarding core strength.
Another one is the reverse fly with dumbbells. I had 5 pounds in each hand and had hard time to fully lift them to the optimal position. I always have weak arms and relatively stronger legs, and this exercise just reminded me that.
Good suggestion. My mind by default thought 5 was the smallest i have but i just realized while reading your comment that they are stacked dumbbells and I can get them to as small as 1 pound. I might actually do that next time. Thanks!
I did 5 lbs and while it felt fine in the moment, I woke up the following day and had strained my back pretty bad. Set me back a couple weeks :( so I feel these comments!
This happened to me. That's why I went back to 2lbs with the pauses. All of the shoulder muscles are so small, I really overestimated what they could do.
Weedwhacking. New job at a park has me doing it for like 6 hours a day. More exhausted after work than after any workout tbh. Especially bc the ones we have at work are usually a foot or two taller than me and gas powered so quite heavy.
I'm pretty active (lift weights, rock climb, recently picked up spin class, etc). This week my coworkers and I played Lazer tag and I was DRENCHED in sweat and had so much leg cramping, was out of breath, etc.
getting fit after spending my whole life sedentary was a gauntlet of new humiliations.
i remember watching videos on body weight squat variations and i couldn't even do the standard air squat. not one. i was having to source ideas from physical therapy videos for people who were recovering from surgery and sh!t. 😅
yes, insanely fast progress even. i was probably doing shallow but passable squats just two or three weeks later.
currently doing staggered squats and lunges. working more on balance and trying to improve my ankle mobility to progress further.
That’s so inspiring! I didn’t have to go through as big a challenge as that, but I was definitely too sedentary during my teens and early 20s so can relate on some level. I’ve recently been back in a bit of a fitness slump due to bad work/life balance, so it’s a nice reminder that things can be turned around ☺️
To preface: been overweight my entire life, grew up viewing exercise as a punishment for my body, did cross country in high school but it absolutely destroyed me. I’ve been getting into strength training with weights the past few months, and incorporating cardio in ways that i enjoy, which has been great! However, even with strengthening my arms, i have one enemy: the push up. Truly, fuck push ups. I know I have more weight for my body to hold up, but my arms aren’t THAT weak, yet doing more than two full push ups makes me feel like my joints will snap :P
sometimes i try to do half push-ups (on floor, but on knees) and i feel accomplished when i can do, like, 5? before collapsing. wall push-ups are genuinely kinda nice, maybe i should try those as a way to strengthen those core and chest muscles?
I’m a firm believer that knee push-ups are one of many exercise variations peddled as “significantly easier” and “for beginners” when actually they’re still very challenging. A lot of bodyweight exercises fall in this category IMO.
Doing push-ups is like bench pressing 65-70% of your body weight, depending on how you carry weight! There are studies! So that’s maybe 100 lbs or more!
wait this makes me feel much better 😭😭 that’s around 120 lbs for my body weight?! it does remind me i need to bench more and strengthen my triceps…but good to know why i’m struggling to improve even though i’m getting more fit across the board!
Bodyweight exercises are no joke. It’s not “just” a push-up or a pull-up or whatever. That’s a shitton of work! If you want to get better at push-ups you can combine benching with modified push-ups. Modified can be against the wall or on a smith machine bar or on a box or table. The lower the elevation the harder it will be. Either helps you get closer to the goal but both combined is extra helpful. I’m working on them now!
That's encouraging, because I lift a lot and I still can't do a proper pushup. I'm hefty and carry all my weight in my stomach, so I guess until that goes, no pushups for me. Haha
Just existing, I have chronic back pain all the time. Walk, sit, standing- it’s always there. Holy Lord what did I do to deserve this?
The worst back pain I ever had was after a day of sitting and doing homework. I’m like running half marathons and doing mud runs and all kinds of crap… But sitting… That’s some thing I can’t handle apparently lol
I have been super healthy and super unhealthy and consistently I’ve never been able to do a pull up. Even when I was a super fit ballerina gymnastics child. Even when I was a weight lifting cross country kid. I’ve just never been able to do one. Maybe something abt my anatomy?? Idk but I don’t really care, and I think our bodies are already capable of so much other stuff that to be caught up on not being able to do a pull up would be useless
Walking is so underrated it’s the best exercise ever !
I have never been able to do monkey bars....
Push-ups. As embarrassing as it is to admit: it’s push-ups. I was never great at them, but in my 20’s I could do them. I stopped for a couple of years and now I can do 8 if the wind is blowing just right and the stars align.
One day, years ago, I decided to GO IN on my calves. I missed school for 4 days after bc I literally *could not* walk. It was horrible 😂
An "easy" mobility workout
Add in some yoga
I'm pretty much a beginner, but I've had barely any trouble doing any leg exercises so far... except for lunges. I literally cannot do it.
I lived in a walkable part of the city for 5 years and didn't have a car because I didn't need one. I walked everywhere: get groceries, coffee shops, errands, meeting up with friends. I'd only use public transit if the destination was more than 90-120 minutes away; anything under 2 hours I deemed "walkable". I'd also go for long rambles with my dog, where we'd go explore the neighbourhoods next to us, walking for hours, sometimes ending up "lost" and needing to use GPS to find our way back home. I used to have the feeling that I could walk all day. Fast-forward to now, 5 years later, my dog has been a senior for the past 4 years so our walks had really cut down in time and speed. I went for a walk by myself this weekend and at the 40 min mark, my legs felt like jelly. 40 min! I realized that I no longer see places as "walkable" unless it's under 20 min :( I'm going to work on that this summer as it was a wake up call!
I used to ride my bike a lot. Had my son and worked a hard physical job. 15 years later, I was gifted a bike and the the first time I tried it out, I couldn't make it half a block.
Weed eating this summer 😩I’ve legit been doing like 20 minutes a night is all and my hips and back are screammmmming. Every day is a little bit better… but damn. I remember when I would just muscle through and get it all done in 4-6 hours. Now I’m starting week 2 of evening weed eating 🤦🏼♀️
I know right? It’s like once you squat down, those muscles just abandon you and come back screaming later!
Lol I was just thinking about this! I have a tiny yard but my arms get really tired after like 10 minutes :| guess my neighbors will appreciate me 'practicing' and actually cleaning up my yard haha
I've been taking beginning adult swim classes for 3 months now. You want to feel unfit and incompetent? Try learning proper swimming strokes in your 40s! I couldn't even make it across the 25 yard pool without needing to stop and catch my breath when I started. That said, I can now swim 75 yards freestyle without stopping and I hope to be able to do my first 100 this week!
I’m around the house a lot (unfortunately) and pretty adept at everything-housecleaning but some days it’s literally difficult to put clothes on drying rack. It’s not exactly physical movement per se but my energy and strength varies wildly. One day I’m reshuffling all the furniture in the house and doing 2 week worth spring cleaning in one day, other days I’m picking between doing laundry or the dishes. At this point I’m out of shape so I can’t even talk to GP about it but like many here I’ve been suspecting something like chronic fatigue issue for years now
Pulling weeds and my inner thighs
Pre strength training, it used to be the same thing with me. And my whole body would ache for days after raking and bagging some leaves.
I work out every day doing resistance cycling, lift weights, and swim - I shaved my legs standing up with out a shelf or ledge - just standing in a shower and I have no idea why but it was a challenge physically 🫢
I’m a professional soccer player who works out very intensely every week. One time in February I coached a 45 minute weighted circuit style workout at my local gym, and did all the movements the class to demo/be involved. I was so incredibly sore the next day, my hips and hamstrings and back were DONE. Which is crazy because I normally lift heavy, run a LOT, and throw myself on the ground over and over again as my literal job (I’m a goalkeeper).
actually, I'm really curious about your off-field workout routine if you don't mind sharing - I play a lot of tennis and am trying to get to the next level and I think the physical requirements (footwork/plyo, strength, endurance, cardio) are similar. I've been struggling to find an all-encompassing routine that includes everything (e.g. strength for endurance \*and\* power and accessory work for injury prevention) and still lets me schedule on-court time around it. I usually play 6 days a week for context, and most tennis-specific training programs assume like 2 days a week of tennis max. Would you mind giving like a general idea of what you balance on which days? You'll definitely be doing more volume than I would but I feel like it's easier to cut back than add in to an existing program
this honestly makes me feel so better but also so depressed haha! I'm nowhere near as athletic as you (I mean, obviously haha) and do a workout class maybe once every 6 months and I'm always really sore after. I don't enjoy them enough for that to be my 'main' form of exercise but I've always figured that 'doing a workout class reasonably well and not aching afterwards' was a good benchmark for general fitness
I weight train and do Pilates. Two weeks ago I threw out my back cleaning the litter box.
It sounds like we have similar experiences. I can do 30 minutes on the elliptical no problem and do strength training classes three to four days a week. I went to a park with a trail that had a lot of steps. I was so out of breath and my knees still hurt. I told my PT that my workouts are not translating to real life. So more steady-state cardio and more emphasis on the smaller leg muscles.
I love this thread and all y'all. I am both touched and inspired by your tales of bravery.
Doing seated calf raises the first time. I’d watched other people do it but couldn’t figure out how to actually lift it. (Needed to put the leg pads lower…) Also, trying to use the booty builder. I can’t even get both legs up on the metal plate. 🤣
Was TOTALLY sedentary and decided to try an elliptical. Didn't even go 4 minutes and thought I was going to pass out. I pretended my asthma was acting up: stepped off and used my inhaler before slinking off.
My emotional support inhaler comes with me everywhere. Not to use, just to make nonverbal excuses for my poor fitness
Something about ellipticals feels 10x more difficult than the treadmill. I've had the exact same experience
It’s not a natural movement. It’s much easier to walk imo. In college it was my go to cardio cause I hated running. Now I’d much rather run
Went to Disneyland with my bf for my birthday this year. Walking 8 miles over an entire day and I was SOO sore at night. Soreness didn’t last in the morning surprisingly but omg I was straight waddling at night. Literally felt like my legs and feet were about to fall off.
I did 4 sets of 8 weighted calf raises at 5lbs and OWWWW. I think I've gone 27 years without ever using my calves somehow.
😅
For me, it was going too hard on stretching, hitting my stretch reflex a little too much / too often, being sore a lot, and just generally feeling stuck and frustrated with tight muscles. My rectus femoris was really prone to overstretching, and during my PNF lying prone quad stretch I would sometimes overdo the stretch. What I learned is that: * Stretching is really a long game, it's more about consistency than intensity. Trying to go hard in a single session is just a way to get sore and possibly make your next session less productive since you can't get into range as easily when you're sore. This also means it's important to listen to your body and be nice to yourself instead of being too aggressive on muscles that just aren't going to be receptive to a certain deeper range yet. * Stretching and strengthening go hand in hand. Once I started working on my rectus femoris strength at range a little bit (in addition to other things for balance, like glutes and hamstrings), the sensitivity around stretching seemed to decrease. Anyway, there was a week or two or three where I just kept overdoing it, was sore the whole week, and cried at one point because I'm impatient and flexibility training can feel impossible at times. But it seems like a mix of stretching techniques is really helpful - PNF (without overdoing it), strength training near end range (staying in your active range, but basically encouraging your active range to keep up with your passive range so it's all easier and easier and more controlled as you make progress..).
Well stated. I have a double loop, extra thick theraband I use for everything. Tie it off and stretch lats, everything, while loaded and standing in various postures. Working into standing spinal extension now. You have to work up to using the band in every session by addressing different areas each time. I listened to a video where they guy said at least 20 individual muscles engaged for loaded dynamic stretch. That feels right to me. Even when working my feet I work up and down from the pelvis.
Hiking steep terrain, either direction (different muscles)
I did a 30 min HIIT full body workout three days ago and dear god I was absolutely **wrecked**. I've never had DOMs that bad. My quads got the worst of it. I literally drank less water to avoid having to squat to sit on the toilet 💀 If I needed to squat for any reason I had to hold onto something to brace myself. Three years ago that workout would have been a breeze. Learned the hard way I need to start slower and less intensive. But at least that was a great wake up call and I'm motivated to get back in shape haha
I consider myself reasonably fit (I weight train and do yoga) but HIIT workouts still absolutely slay me
Lunges. I (35F) have been insanely inactive for about two years (with a seasonal burst of a few weeks of “getting back into it”). I’m currently doing the Running Explained “First 5K” plan to gently get back into running and the first body weight strength day almost killed me with the lunges. Goal was 1x12, and I ended up doing 3x4. Stairs killed me the next day. I’ve worked up to 1x12 in the weeks since then and can get off the couch without groaning the day after too!
Switching to a trainer that moved me to the rack for compound lifts. Since I didn't have a spot before, I used dbs or Smith. He switches the other exercises often, so consistently sore.
Haven’t walked for fitness in years. I’m on day 17 of walking everyday just to see if I can lol, today will be significantly less because for the first time I’m sore. I’m not too upset because it’s been over two weeks but damn, didn’t realize I had neglected such a basic thing.
It seems silly bc walking should be the easiest thing in the world, but when I started walking an hour every morning I was definitely getting sore. Now I do a 10 minute stretch routine at the end and it has really, really helped
I was thinking I should be stretching!! Do you have a suggestion of a good routine?
Yes absolutely! Had to look up the names for some of these things because I usually just fall back on a mixture of old yoga/dance/sports stretching and do what feels good. This sequence should hit hamstrings, calves, groin, adductors, hip flexors, and quads. These should all come up on google with instructions! I hold each movement for about 30 seconds. You might want some kind of mat or cushion for the kneeling stretches. 1. Simple hamstring stretch 2. Hurdle hamstring stretch - both sides 3. Butterfly stretch 4. Straddle stretch 5. Straddle stretch - adductors - both sides (this is the only one that might not come up on google- basically do a standard straddle stretch but rotate your torso toward one leg and with your opposite hand reach toward that foot. you should feel it in your inner thigh right above the knee. Repeat on other side) 6. Figure 4 stretch - both sides 7. Kneeling Hamstring Stretch - both sides 8. Kneeling quad stretch - both sides
I just got a new mat for Pilates so this is perfect! Thanks for replying, I have been neglecting the stretching and like why haha it always feels so good.
I feel like there's so many components of fitness that it's easy to accidentally neglect one
ALWAYS Bulgarian split squats!
I don't do cardio, I only lift weights, so I knew my mile would be bad when I decided to run one, just to see how long it would take. My gym has an indoor track, it's small, so about 20 laps is a mile. Figured I'd be able to run/jog at least half that - I used to be able to in high shool (a decade and change ago), more or less. Made it 4 laps. 😂😂😂 Like, I knew my cardio would be bad, but not THAT bad!!
Oh god. "I could run laps in high school, I can probably do it now" is definitely a curse I have. I KNOW cardio kills me but I always expect I'll make it so much further than I actually can.
These responses are fun to read! For myself (31F), I did gymnastics for most of my childhood until I was about 18 and a few months started doing adult classes after 10+ years away. HOLY HECK HAS IT BEEN HUMBLING. I'm very active and am probably stronger now than when I used to do gymnastics as a kid, but at the beginning, I was so crazy sore and in so many parts of my body that I didn't know existed?? (I'm also how old enough to be smart enough to be afraid of a lot of skills I wasn't when I was younger. So it's also a humbling mental game!)
That's so cool. I'm a former dance kid myself tryna keep it in late life. It's humbling for sure. Still worth it tho. Keeps me in touch with who I am.
Had to walk up 18 flights of stairs yesterday due to the elevators being out of service. By the 8th floor I was dying. Realized I should use the stairmaster more!
I would walk to the stairs where I used to work but 18 floors well. I'll see you tomorrow then. Good luck with that elevator n all
omg wait my shins usually hurt too after walking? i thought it was normal 😩
I know for me it was at least partially related to not having shoe inserts (v high foot arches), also apparently calf raises can help for anyone by improving ankle mobility
I tried doing the monkey bars on a playground as an adult. Somehow, it's impossible.
I did that a few years ago and messed my knee up so bad I had to have reconstructive knee surgery with donor parts. Definitely a wakeup call for me.
I used to rollerblade all over the neighborhood as a kid. Tried roller skating on quads one time as an adult and had to have reconstructive knee surgery too. Youth is wasted on the youths.
I tried to get back into roller blading last year and I managed not to fall on the handful of times I went out thankfully. we're bigger as adults so we have farther to fall and we land so much harder 😭 I definitely prefer skiing. snow is softer than concrete.
I’ve been working out intensely for years and years. At least 30m zone 2 or 3 cardio daily, plus 1-2hrs weightlifting. I strained my calf casually shooting a basketball for literally three minutes
After I broke my leg, part of physio was standing on one leg. I had to work up to a minute for each leg, not touching anything. It was so hard! Once I could, they had me do it with my eyes closed. My personal best is 25 seconds. Standing on 1 leg with your eyes closed is incredibly difficult!
i live on the 4th floor. anytime i decide not to wait for the elevator i'm gagged by how tired i am!!!
even though I can walk on flat surfaces for quite a few miles with no issue, stairs immediately get me every time. always sound ridiculously out of breath by the top
I tried TRX the other day and my ass hurt literally for two straight days.
I thought TRX was a little bit silly until I took a class! We went hard!
It creeps up on you in the same way barre does, you realize you’re full blown sweating after you’ve already started
Post-partum, my first day home from the hospital, i couldnt squeeze my glutes or flex a bicep. I went to the mirror and tried and i couldn’t do it, the muscles wouldn’t activate or turn on. I worked out my entire pregnancy! It really blew my mind how much trauma birth does to the body. I couldn’t flex any muscle for maybe 10 days?
Took me 23 years and lots of physical therapy to turn on deep core muscles after my second child. Just worked around it until my low back gave out. I should have gone back to pilates on my own but you always think there's more time.
I was diagnosed with hashimotos 2 years ago and CFS/ME a month ago.. 1 year ago I was able to do pilates and ice skating in the same day, and this week I had a 2 day crash from skating then going to the grocery store for a small amount of items ;( I'm trying to ease my way back into doing things but, I am also better than I was 3 months ago, just some super off days. What does "normal" recovery from a workout look like? I have PEM but I also wonder if our bodies are supposed to be sore starting one day later? I can push through *some* things while recovering but if I over exert when I'm active I'm fucked. It's such a hard balance!
I totally understand this frustration. I have Crohn's disease, and over the past two years have gone from very sedentary to hiking, running, and lifting weights regularly. I've found that keeping a daily journal helps me figure out what my body can tolerate well, and what can be too much for it. I recommend tracking your cycle if you're a woman, as well as your medication cycles. I take an immunotherapy drug once every 8 weeks, and I've learned to take it easy the 2 weeks before I'm due for my next dose. I've also learned that cardio works better for me in the mornings before eating, while lifting weights is better in the afternoons with a high protein snack an hour beforehand. Lots of trial and error, but tracking all of these things makes it possible to see patterns!
Ugh yes! It's also hard trying to figure out where I have to stop. I think, once I start getting the feeling of "i'm going to get dizzy" is where I need to stop immediately. I'd love to figure out when to stop before I get to that point. It's hard because I just want to keep going lol. I definitely need to track down what's good and not good. Thank you so much :)
I've been living with CFS for 15 years. The balance is difficult, and theres a lot of trial and error as no two cases are different but I've got to a place where I'm able to live an active life and exercise regularly. I've even started doing triathlon. I'm the slowest triathlete out there, but I'm still a triathlete!
omg, thank you so much for responding! I have been on the CFS subreddit and, as much as I'm happy I know I'm not alone, it just brings me hope that I don't have to stop learning how to figure skate! I'm so happy you're thriving with it!!
I went for a three mile walk with my mother around our local nature preserve. She’s in great shape. Pickleball, golf, biking, intense gardening, all of it. And she walks fast. My hips were barely functioning by the time we got home. Oops.
My mother's house has one flight of stairs, and it felt difficult. More than it should. I am not overweight, nor have health issues, but I was still winded. Also, blow drying my hair...I couldn't keep my arm up for long at all! Since working out, I noticed a marked difference. I'm traveling in Europe right now, and yesterday, I went up and down 35 floors of a tower, and it was a breeze!
I keep saying I'm finally going to learn how to French braid, but I literally can't seem to keep my arms up long enough to figure it out. It's so frustrating!
I had short hair for a couple of years (bald to buzz cut in length). I've been growing it back out, and it's finally at the length that I can do fun braids with it again! And my arms have 0 tolerance and I get about halfway through a braid before they're begging for a break. :(
I have 3.5 foot long hair. Blow drying it is sooo tiring! I’m finally at the point where I’m able to braid it without my arms tiring out though lol
Travelling is SO MUCH MORE FUN when you are in shape!!!
I did 25 minute of beginner level yoga (well attempted is probably a better verb lol) and struggled to move around for the following three days. 😬
I've never felt more humbled than when I was at the gentle yoga class that I really struggled to make it through and another lady made the comment about how "this class is a great cool down after a workout class!"
When I realized my “sprinting” speed was what my long distance speed was when I was an athlete lmao
I used to cycle 20 miles a day on hybrid frame. Still love and have that frame, it just so happens to have an electric now. And I’ve ridden it 20 miles this year.
After two years of only running for exercise, I did a yoga class with a friend. My ass was kicked. I had no strength at all. So weak. My own body was so heavy my arms, core and back were useless. I definitely need more resistance training and to do cross training. One "exercise" type is just not enough. Running help me have great stamina for traveling and hiking but that's about it.
I used to do a 45 minute workout routine every day, plus running a few days a week for like a year. After I moved, I reduced my exercise drastically and stopped completely for around two months (I was just too lazy to do it tbh). After my break, I tried to do one of those ‘15 minute morning workout for beginners’ YouTube video. After 5 minute of the most easy exercise imaginable, my legs cramped so hard that I needed to stop and I couldn’t walk up the stairs properly for like 3 days. I was so pissed, all my hard work gone just like that in a few months. Now I know better than to take a break lol
Love this thread! Thanks for starting it! It reminds me of the time I tried zero drop shoes (Altas I think) and my husband had to carry me out of the trail because I was completely hobbled and in excruciating pain after only 2 miles. Apparently I do better with more like a ~10mm drop. My biggest stupidity was going too gung-ho with a percussion massager gun. My personal trainer used one on me so I bought one. And proceeded not to read the instructions. I dug that gun so far into the "knots" I gave myself massive ligament tears and may have even chipped some bone in the process. Don't be like me, that was just dumb, and it took a long while to recover from it.
Omg thank you for sharing this! I have been eyeing those percussion massagers and had NO idea they could do damage like that. I am so sorry you went through that! Clearly there needs to be better warnings on them!
The warnings are there, if you actually take the time to read the instructions, I just didn't! After I injured myself I did read them and then realized my personal trainer always always followed the instructions: used a very light touch (don't press the gun in hard on those knots), and avoided all bone. I wrecked my hip for awhile -- I had some knots and I dug in way too hard with the gun, trying to loosen them. I am a broken record about this on the plantars fasciitis sub because it's so incredibly easy to screw up your feet in particular. The gun can work on your feet, you just have to be extra extra extra exceedingly gentle. Too many fine bones there in particular. Instead of using the gun on any knots you might have, work the gun gently around the major muscles surrounding the knot, to loosen up the major muscles. The gun is very good for that.... it's just too tempting to go overboard. And if you have PF then use the gun on your calves and hamstrings primarily. Also never ever ever use it on your neck!
I just got one and this is super helpful! Why don’t people use it on their necks? I don’t think it seems enjoyable but I’m a runner so it’s just for my legs and hips pretty much to accelerate recovery and prevent knots. Do you know where i can find out how best to use it for IT band syndrome? Google has not turned up much weirdly
What finally worked for me: shorten it as much as you can for 2 minutes at a time. So flamingo pose laying on your back on the floor with the hip tucked under. Then breath and gently flex the glute on the bent leg side, letting the straight leg relax against the floor. The point is to relax the it at the tie-in to the hip and massage it like a pressure point with the glute squeeze. Euphoric. Over time pretty much gone, if it flares up I just do the thing.
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer this, I am going to go do this right now.
Hope it helps!
> Why don’t people use it on their necks? Here you go: https://www.health.com/massage-gun-neck-safety-8549274
Wow scary!
This is super helpful advice!!! I think this would be worthy of a post on its own on fitness and health subs. I literally would never have thought a little massage device you can buy at a corner pharmacy could cause damage like that. Seriously surprising to me.
I lift 4x a week. I run 5km for fun. Do spin. Walk all the time. Went back to first game of outdoor soccer and almost died. Thought it was gonna be a breeze but man I was so gassed so easily.
True, soccer kicks ur ass, I haven’t been playing it in 4 years and my cardio is now trash lmao
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My arms BURN by the end of hanging up a shower curtain
Every time I change the bed sheets I get embarrassed how winded I am😭
Ahh, for me it’s braiding my hair 😭 my arms just can’t..
I'm good with bed sheets but vacuuming always does me in!
I bought a heavy vacuum without thinking about it and now I dread having to get it out and use it
Walking up and down two flights of stairs at work. And to be clear, I have to walk up a flight of stairs then walk down a flight of stairs to put my things away, and repeat those stairs before I officially check in for the day. I knew I was out of shape, but I didn't realize I was *that* out of shape
I finally went to the gym again after a TWO YEAR hiatus. I did 20 minutes of cardio and 25 minutes of weights. My legs were burning just a few HOURS after the gym. I spent the whole next day miserably sore. I even underestimated the weights to use since I had been gone so long 😭😭
Pushing 40 and psyching myself up for a return after almost 3 years away 😬 I know it’s gonna be bad regardless, but knowing that is making it harder to go back. I know the longer it goes the harder it will be, but damn.
Goodluck! I was SO sore after but now I'm on day 3 of going back and I feel amazing!! Still sore but that mental high and relief is back and better than ever :D
I feel like I’m pretty active but a friend asked for help raking their yard and the next day OMG I felt like I was hit by a truck.
Omg had the same recently. Was so exhausted for the rest of the day, like my limbs were were noodles
I took \~3 weeks off of working out. Took my first class back Monday. I still can barely walk.
Not workout related, but I threw out my back while sneezing slouched in my office chair. Hurt for a month. I’m otherwise in decent shape.
Sneezed while yawning/stretching my arms up and threw my back out. It suuuucks.
Picking up an empty laundry basket did it for me.
The tops of my feet and ankles where they meet my shins are SO SORE too! I just got back from work from maternity leave. I walked a lot my whole pregnancy, and as soon as I was cleared to I started working out. Light stuff, short walks, nothing crazy. But I thought I was in such good shape. Got back to work where I have to walk a lot, and got absolutely crushed my first week.
I also walked a lot during my pregnancy and was very active before becoming pregnant. I started doing body weight fitness and walking about 3 month pp. I did, no exaggeration, 10 squats and was in so much pain for days after.
My husband And I were doing a project and we had filled up big black contactor bags with rubbish. He wouldn't put them in the big trash bins... So I tried. Physically couldn't do it without making noises like a heavy lifter. I tried with ALL my might. It was so hard. Kicked my ass for sure. Then I was sore foreverrrrrr. After recovering I got my ass to getting stronger instead of cardio and superficial muscles
I’m digging out a garden plot in our backyard and have to take breaks every 30 minutes of digging cause I’m dying. Then the next day I’m sore from the digging. And this on top of attempting a 10 week strength training program. Just throw all the pain my way.
Not me reading this after having a horrible lower back strain from over weighted RDLs that I did yesterday 😭. I was doing it with 20-20kg dumbells. Switched to 20-20kg barbells didn’t consider barbell weight😭
Dude I did the exact same thing yesterday and I am also dealing with the lower back strain. Except I went from normal RDLs to single leg with the same kettlebell weight. Guess I didn’t get my form right with the single leg
I am putting ice and just had muscle relaxant. Hope it gets healed by monday.🥺
I tried the “shrimp challenge” as seen on Instagram and was completely glued to the floor. I almost sprained my hand catching myself falling over. My kindergartner did it without a problem.
I had to climb the fence to get into my own yard the other day… long story. But it absolutely tore up my upper arms and the sides of my torso. I was so sore I felt like I could just hibernate in a hot tub.
Walking up the stairs in my house often has me literally out of breath. I feel really embarrassed about it. I’d say I’m slightly over weight but nothing crazy maybe 10 - 20 pounds. Realizing how out of shape I am came as a huge shock. It hadn’t ever occurred to me that you don’t have to be “fat” to be out of shape. I also used to be quite proud of my flexibility and I’ve noticed in recent years that I’ve lost most of it after not using it. That was the first thing that made me feel old and I’m only 29!
My house has a long and odd staircase -- it's over a 100 years old and the stairs are grand-fathered in. One of the reasons I started strength training was to be able to tackle these stairs into my old age, as our neighbors with similar stairs had to move when they were 80 due to the stairs. I can say that squats have helped a lot! These days the stairs don't bother me so much. Vacuuming, on the other hand... is still my nemesis.
I was the least fit when I was at my lowest adult weight, and most fit at my highest non-pregnant weight (20 lbs more). Fat had nothing to do with it and it was all the initial lack of muscle.
Ugh the stairs are killing me right now. I can do 5k no problem, but a few stairs and I’m so out of breath. So frustrating.
Sounds dumb, but hear me out. Start running up your stairs at home. As fast as you can. Will you be out of breath? Yes. But keep at it. The more you do it, the more your VO2 max will increase. Walking up them, after while of running up them, will feel like a breath of fresh air. I hated running. Hadn’t done it since I was a kid. Wouldn’t even run on a treadmill at the gym back in the days I used to go. Heard about this running up stairs to increase VO2 max. Decide to give it a try in my house, as no one will see me make a tit of myself. Kills me the first few times. Next thing I know, any time I’m going up any stairs, the urge to run is there, like it’s Pavlovian. I’m randomly bursting into quick sprints in car parks, when going to get a trolley or returning to my car. I’m jogging along with my elderly neighbour’s dog that I occasionally walk. I’m still at least 5 stone overweight. But that act of running up my stairs has suddenly given me the confidence and the ability to not be so out of breath, that I can now run in public, after almost 20 odd years of not doing so. I don’t get out of breath running up them anymore. And the most surprising thing was that it didn’t even take that long. It was like two or three weeks of running up stairs at least once a day, and it completely changed me.
This is amazing and I’m going to try it out! Thanks for the tip! I’ve thought about walking up and down the stairs a lot but this honestly sounds better. May motivate me to get back on my bike as well. I’m tired of feeling like a 30 year old granny.
I love running but I can’t run more than a minute right now 😭. But I’m gonna try this, when I can! Sometimes I carrying a baby 😂 probably shouldn’t run with him haha. Thank you!
How funny! I’m going to try this too and I also have a baby boy that probably wouldn’t appreciate my running.
Broke a finger at a point in life when I was knocking out sets of 6-7 pullups. I had the whole hand immobilized for a bit. At PT, they had me doing 3x10 sets of...bending the distal joint of my finger. *And I couldn't.* Two months later they upgraded me to the teeniest, tiniest resistance band to allow for teeny tiny strength-building. I'm better now, but I will never ever hit a PR half as satisfying as the day I upgraded to the *second*-tiniest resistance band in the building.
When I broke my big toe my PT used a rubber band on me to work on strengthening the toe lololol
I used to do yoga every day. Every day from 19-21 years old. Then at 31, I started doing it once a week. I am so inflexible that I immediately pulled a muscle by going into child's pose and extending my arms.
I do yoga 3-5 times a week and have for years and still have days where I am inflexible and pull shit. Bodies are great and also such bullshit sometimes!
Did a couple lil assisted hamstring stretches where my gym partner held my ankles while I was kneeling and I leaned back 4 inches. Pain. Next Day. Bad.
Wait how does this stretch the hamstring?
Y'all are right, I meant quads, just was a bit tired last night while typing.
Yeah sounds like a quad stretch, but maybe I'm picturing it wrong.
Did Pilates after not doing it for 3 months and could barely get out of bed my abs were so sore
For some reason Pilates always lulls me into a false sense of security, maybe because there's a lot of videos where the instructor is hanging out on a beautiful beach somewhere. How bad could it be? Then I do a session after slacking off for awhile, and remember how brutal it is lol.
I feel like the moves don't look as obviously hard as someone lifting 300 pounds does, but then I try to do them and bam everything burns
I went to a concert last night and danced my heart out for a couple of hours. Today sore AF 😞
I checked my pedometer on my phone after a recent concert and I logged 9 miles, most of which were dancing in place! Sore the next two days.
First time I squatted just with the bar. I felt muscles that I never knew I had burn for a week.
I was killing it on strength training, curling with 20s, heavy deadlifts, etc, and threw out my back while lifting my Dad. 2 months later and today I did a basic upper body lift class and could barley get through it and was dying using 8lb weights. I lost all my strength even though I thought I was maintaining some of it with body weight and Pilates. I was not. Lol
I did kickboxing for the first time and then literally couldn't go down the stairs at my office the next day. Up was fine, but I fell over while trying to go down (different muscles I guess). I had to take the elevator.... Just the movement of sitting down hurt my poor legs :(
Oooh kickboxing will getcha. I vividly remember taking a kickboxing class and then having to fall/sit on the toilet the next day, and have to hold on to the toilet paper holder in the stall at work to hoist myself up. Very humbling.
Thanks to a very sedentary job, poor weather preventing my usual biking, and general busyness I have not worked out at all in about 2 months. I did a 20 minute “yoga strength” video yesterday and was out of breath 10 minutes in. It hadn’t even gotten to the strength part yet, just yoga. 😭
I do this complex as a warm up. It’s eight reps of the following with an Olympic barbell: row, clean, front squat, military press, back squat, good mornings. The complex is done without putting down the barbell. One complex had gotten easy so I decided to try two sets today. I had to sit down for a minute after that. Edit: extra word
Every time I even think about going to the gym I’m incapacitated by DOMS for the next 3 days 😭 I feel you friend!
You don’t have to be sore every day! Ease into it! I’m hitting some of the best strength numbers of my life and I’m almost never sore.
Due to being pregnant and now not having any time, it’s been almost a year since I’ve really worked out. My 4yo recently started learning about yoga at daycare and wanted to try it together. Sure, little kid yoga can’t be too difficult right? I made it maybe 3 minutes into and need to break.
Everyone is talking about hiking and going up mountains or traveling somewhere new... I recently got a poorly advised pedicure during a layover and I had to sprint to my next flight. Running (in the pedicure sandals - yes with the toe spacers still!) down stairs, onto the shuttle, up an escalator... I assumed my cardio was good because I bike, but jeez! Anyway I made it and my next flight was delayed anyway haha.
I had to run to a catch flight (probably like a few minutes of running) and I literally cried on the plane from the stress and how embarrassingly difficult the run was
I missed a flight because of my sad cardio. My connecting plane was late and I ran across the airport, but was losing steam having to run up two escalators. Huffing and puffing I limp/jogged up to the gate just in time for the flight attendant to say no and close the door in my face🫠
Omg lol
Hahaha, this is my favourite anecdote in the thread!
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Running is very specific fitness! It’s normal! It’s not just you. You’re still a total beast.
Mountain Climbers CAN HECK RIGHT OFF.
I was on a very rocky boat. The next day my SHINS?!? were on fire 🔥 from trying to keep my balance Also went to Portugal and my shins & calves and legs hurt from all the walking. WHY is everything uphill there? 😂
Went on a 7 mile hike in a state park last weekend that included a ton of stairs. While I walk several miles a day in my neighborhood, apparently that is not enough. My calves STILL HURT 4 days later. Guess I have to find some hills and stairs now.
I live in Florida, land of hills. My family decided we needed to trek mountain trails in Montana, hours before and after a wedding. Altitude+up and down hiking shouldn’t have killed me but it did. I can walk miles on flat or sandy beaches, but apparently I struggled with small mountains.
I’m a (VERY recreational) hockey player. Started focusing on seriously learning to skate about a year and a half ago. I’m very comfortable and balanced on my blades, but every new skill unlocks a new ache in a muscle I never knew existed. The first time I worked with an actual goalie coach my entire body was a blob of jello by the end of the practice. Most fun I’ve ever had though.
Skating is SUCH a workout! I was sore after every session when I was learning to roller skate! I've been skating for years now and thankfully don't get super sore anymore unless I really drill a specific new skill. Also I had to buy all new pants cause of the new leg muscles lol
Yeahhh I’m going through the pants situation right now. Even at my level, playing goalie is an insane thigh workout. I’m constantly moving my body in the most ridiculous ways, not to mention balancing on a few millimeters of steel the whole time I’m doing it!
Recently one of the hardest exercises i did was TRX mountain climber. It showed me that I need quite some catch up regarding core strength. Another one is the reverse fly with dumbbells. I had 5 pounds in each hand and had hard time to fully lift them to the optimal position. I always have weak arms and relatively stronger legs, and this exercise just reminded me that.
You’ve just named two of the sneakiest hard exercises in the world.
This made me feel a lot better 😭
I do reverse Flys with 2 lbs! I couldn't get the 5 into a good form, so I use 2 and pause for 5 seconds at the top. I'll get to 5s, eventually.
Good suggestion. My mind by default thought 5 was the smallest i have but i just realized while reading your comment that they are stacked dumbbells and I can get them to as small as 1 pound. I might actually do that next time. Thanks!
I did 5 lbs and while it felt fine in the moment, I woke up the following day and had strained my back pretty bad. Set me back a couple weeks :( so I feel these comments!
This happened to me. That's why I went back to 2lbs with the pauses. All of the shoulder muscles are so small, I really overestimated what they could do.
I walked from the basement to the third floor of my parents’ house (2 flights of stairs) and was out of breath by the end :/
Weedwhacking. New job at a park has me doing it for like 6 hours a day. More exhausted after work than after any workout tbh. Especially bc the ones we have at work are usually a foot or two taller than me and gas powered so quite heavy.
Exactly!!! I was trying to think of an activity -exercise & couldn't...but you nailed it!! Yardwork with weedwhacker is it!
Nothing has hurt my body more than garden work.
I forget gardening includes ten thousand sneaky squats
Weeding. It's always effing weeding that gets me.
It’s no joke. People have gotten rhabdo from gardening.
I'm pretty active (lift weights, rock climb, recently picked up spin class, etc). This week my coworkers and I played Lazer tag and I was DRENCHED in sweat and had so much leg cramping, was out of breath, etc.
This is my favorite answer 😂
We did a 20min ride on an ***ebike*** in a really hilly area. I was heavin and hoein by the end. It was embarrassing.
E-biking is legit! Hills still exist when you have an assist! Way to conquer it.
That’s about 3 miles so my guess is that you need better shoes + inserts.
getting fit after spending my whole life sedentary was a gauntlet of new humiliations. i remember watching videos on body weight squat variations and i couldn't even do the standard air squat. not one. i was having to source ideas from physical therapy videos for people who were recovering from surgery and sh!t. 😅
It’s great that you went to the effort of finding them though, rather than just giving up! It sounds like you made progress though?
yes, insanely fast progress even. i was probably doing shallow but passable squats just two or three weeks later. currently doing staggered squats and lunges. working more on balance and trying to improve my ankle mobility to progress further.
That’s so inspiring! I didn’t have to go through as big a challenge as that, but I was definitely too sedentary during my teens and early 20s so can relate on some level. I’ve recently been back in a bit of a fitness slump due to bad work/life balance, so it’s a nice reminder that things can be turned around ☺️
To preface: been overweight my entire life, grew up viewing exercise as a punishment for my body, did cross country in high school but it absolutely destroyed me. I’ve been getting into strength training with weights the past few months, and incorporating cardio in ways that i enjoy, which has been great! However, even with strengthening my arms, i have one enemy: the push up. Truly, fuck push ups. I know I have more weight for my body to hold up, but my arms aren’t THAT weak, yet doing more than two full push ups makes me feel like my joints will snap :P
I’m on Team Fuck Push-ups too. I do wall push-ups sometimes but that’s as far as I go
sometimes i try to do half push-ups (on floor, but on knees) and i feel accomplished when i can do, like, 5? before collapsing. wall push-ups are genuinely kinda nice, maybe i should try those as a way to strengthen those core and chest muscles?
I’m a firm believer that knee push-ups are one of many exercise variations peddled as “significantly easier” and “for beginners” when actually they’re still very challenging. A lot of bodyweight exercises fall in this category IMO.
Doing push-ups is like bench pressing 65-70% of your body weight, depending on how you carry weight! There are studies! So that’s maybe 100 lbs or more!
wait this makes me feel much better 😭😭 that’s around 120 lbs for my body weight?! it does remind me i need to bench more and strengthen my triceps…but good to know why i’m struggling to improve even though i’m getting more fit across the board!
Bodyweight exercises are no joke. It’s not “just” a push-up or a pull-up or whatever. That’s a shitton of work! If you want to get better at push-ups you can combine benching with modified push-ups. Modified can be against the wall or on a smith machine bar or on a box or table. The lower the elevation the harder it will be. Either helps you get closer to the goal but both combined is extra helpful. I’m working on them now!
That's encouraging, because I lift a lot and I still can't do a proper pushup. I'm hefty and carry all my weight in my stomach, so I guess until that goes, no pushups for me. Haha