The first step of the day. Sliding out of bed and putting my foot on the ground. Do I feel okay, sore, or – holy crap I did some heavy squat cleans yesterday and my legs are jello? Next, I have to get down a flight of stairs to get my hands on my lifeblood a.k.a. coffee. Am I walking normally, one-step at a time, or sideways down the stairs? These are things that happen to me. And if you Olympic lift, back squat, deadlift, front squat, lunge, overhead squat, box jump, wall ball, or otherwise tax your legs – this may be you the day(s) after your workout.
Stick Me, Freeze Me, Crack Me, Squeeze Me
I’m 46. I sit at a desk all morning, I attend CrossFit OldTown at lunch, then I sit at a desk all afternoon. It is a perfect blueprint for stiffness, soreness and post-workout pain. Which keeps me on the constant lookout for relief in addition to my daily mobility from Mobility WOD. I have tried so many ways, and I will pretty much try anything. Maybe you’ve tried some, or all of these. Perhaps there are even some that I haven’t yet thought of. So let’s review.
- Yoga
Of course I need yoga. It is the opposite of the workouts that I do, no doubt it could help. I’ve tried yoga; but it never takes. I am so completely inflexible that I easily get frustrated and don’t enjoy the slow struggle for progress. And while yoga is all about working at your own pace and to your own abilities, I cannot help but get caught up in how my neighbor’s downward dog is looking vs. my own. I assure you, theirs is better. So despite the promise of improvement over time, I cannot commit. Yoga is the aspirational equivalent of cleaning out the attic. Maybe tomorrow. - Thai Massage
There is a guy at our gym that moved away and got trained up in the art of Thai Massage.Competing Every Day is Holding You Back
Quick, pull up this month’s social media account of choice. Now, glance through the activity of your family, friends, coworkers, and hundreds of remote acquaintances. If this article has any truth to it, you’re seeing a totally unrealistic perspective on their lives, the best moments of their week, month, or year and not much else. Our online personas are idealized versions of ourselves, the people we want the world to see.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Athletes are the worst offenders out there. We’ve all done it – you quietly reject that embarrassing tag from Saturday night, only to upload the full-length, timestamped video of your 5:30AM Tuesday Fran PR a few seconds later. Everything is under control here people!
That said, at least your Fran video has a good chance of inspiring someone else to make fitness a priority in their lives. When I look at the social media pages of my friends from the gym, I see a lot of smiles and accomplishments, and those are great endorsements for our sport.
Unfortunately, I see just as many photos showing what can only be described as “the aftermath.” You know the poses I’m talking about – that one where the Athlete might as well have a chalk line around them, that one with the adorable sweat angel, or that one of the athlete feeding the bushes out back.