Bring It!

Having spent the last three days doing yoga, stretching and assuming various pretzel-like postures, I'm declaring this week to be successful in meeting my objectives, and will reset the calendar to commence Week 12 on Sunday. My lower back feels much better, and my range of motion is pretty much back to normal. I've been riding my bicycle the last couple of days with no ill effects.

I'm going to be cautious this week and will take a few extra minutes during my warm-ups to ensure that my hamstrings and lower back are fully stretched out and warmed up prior to my wholeheartedly engaging in the workout.

I'm looking forward to jumping back into the fray and getting to the workouts with a renewed sense of energy and vigour.

Let's hope that listening to the body pays off with strong workouts and pleasing results.

Bring It!

Recovering...

I had a 1-hour therapeutic massage yesterday, which was just what the doctor ordered. I wouldn't exactly say that I was bound up, but I was experiencing some muscle soreness, and the masseuse found those points, applied pressure (pretty much to the point of pain) and I left relaxed and pain-free. I was feeling better this morning, but decided to take it easy by doing the first half of Yoga X.

It's been awhile since I've done this workout, as I always seem pressed for time in the mornings and don't wake up early enough for the 1:32 workout. What a pleasure to do this workout again! I had nearly forgotten how much I enjoyed it (and cursed it in the early days). Now, it's pretty much a breeze to get through the first half (the movement exercises) and it was exactly what I needed to stretch out my lower back and hamstrings.

I'm probably going to continue with yoga for another few days to give my back more time to recover and to stretch out and limber up. Then, hopefully, I'll be ready to recommence Week 12.

Namaste.

Time Off

I recently posted about how flexible I am, and how that's contributed to being pain and injury-free. No sooner did I do that, then I really pushed myself in a Shoulders and Arms workout. Then, I had difficulty making it through an Insanity workout the next day. I think that I may have given myself a slight tweak in my lower back, possibly from Shoulders and Arms, and it may be been exacerbated by jumping during Insanity. As a result, I was experiencing some discomfort over the weekend, and I'm going to listen to my body and take a few days off to rest and recover. I'm not so into working out that I'm keen on seriously injuring myself.

So, I have a massage scheduled for today (thankfully, my wife has a health benefit plan which includes massages for spouses and significant others), I'll take a few days off from riding my bicycle to the office, and I'll give Tony and the kids a break. I'm sure they're happy to be away from me for awhile, anyway.

I hope that this is just a short-term break. I'd like to at least engage in some yoga or stretching over the next few days. I'll likely put Week 12 off for one week to stretch and recover, then jump back into Week 12 and finish off this Round. It's unfortunate, but that's what happens in life, and you have to learn how to handle the minor setbacks so you can quickly get back to your program.