No gym access from covid-19 ? Change in a fitness routine can be beneficial. My healing update.

In know there was a home fitness thread here somewhere. I just want to make a positive point that changing your fitness plan (for those who can exercise) can have some good benefits. This is not intended for people who are still in the "I can barely move" stage". I was there for years, I understand that part. your whole body still feels inflamed and stuck.

So.....Our structures are pretty complicated with unlimited movements, yet most fitness routines are just that - a routine, which is repetitive and sets the body up for muscle memory which can cause tightness and pain itself.

I was getting more sore with the gym being closed, but then I noticed tight areas were getting more pronounced and specific. This was good for me as it was a more obvious target for specific trigger-point therapy and or myofacial release which I do myself.

I was lifting and using gym machines non stop the last two years, and it really increased my strength but I knew it still wasn't right.

Using weights at the gym gives muscles that pumped up feel and look but it also covers up specific areas that need release work. A whole arm or leg can feel tight or heavy when its sometimes actually one little area affecting the whole thing.

I really have to pay attention to my structure as its slowly changing back to a balanced system vs my twisted, scoliosis lyme changed body which also had quit a few injuries that added up and never healed right.

My short right leg tighten up my left side and gave me a messed up walking gate - progressively for 20 years. It has released a lot over the last two years and I removed the right heal lift last year when I finally felt like I could. This changes muscle balance which is shifting in a positive manner. Without gym machine use, I was now able to pinpoint some areas that need attention.

Same with shoulders and arms- I found some areas where the triceps tendons are still tight really deep which was found somewhat laying on the side on my Thereacane. This was not as noticable after being "pumped up" from gym use and that lasts for a few days.

In addition to other outdoor activities, I ride a variety of bikes- mnt, fat, cross, road; all have different body positions and all have a different fitness result on body structure. Ive been changing bikes and terrain noticing great results feeling good getting out of bed the following morning.

Just did a rolling hilly road / paved trail ride yesterday with a few good climbs which I pretty much sprinted for about six miles as a body test, figuring If I hurt ill have the weekend to recover (used to take weeks and could not ride at all one year). Got out of bed today with no pain, but did some trigger point work on the smaller now more obvious areas that were a little tight. Ill take tight vs pain anyday and even thats now getting better.

I do still use Penetrex cream and DMSO (sometimes) on top of the worked out trigger point areas. This realy helps.

As far as weights, like people on the "home workout thread" (?) , Im just doing way lighter stuff and a some floor exercises that I did not do with my past gym membership.

So in some ways, its a good thing I was forced to change my routine. Like a reset button. I look forward to doing heavier stuff again, but no need for me to do this yet.

All that biking sounds amazing

So I made this post mid May.

My gym reopened a couple weeks ago (can go to several). There was an over abundance of gyms in my fit crazy state, and now some, like restaurants and bars, are closed forever.

I have witnessed a couple (not many) people get into mask arguments during the busy hour. Some young people dont see it as protecting OTHERS. Managment said they are free to leave since they are outnumbered.

I now go after the busy hours when there are less people and use free weights and machines ....with a mask on. I dont even walk near the cardio area (hard breathers if there are any).

Last night, after 20 pull ups with 30 lbs assist (same as about 10-12 non assist,) I was winded, but everything else I did was not to stressing. Feel pretty good today but my forearms and shoulders were a little sore tired. Sure i'll feel it tomorrow morning. I dont do cardio at the gym (boring), which is hot with a mask, thats what outside is for lol.

I didnt do much for three months besides outdoor cycling. The break was good for my body, let me zone in on whats remaining to loosen up and then strengthen. I worked out hard last night and plan to do this while many are outside or afraid to go back to the gym. Im building up now in preparation of the winter return of Covid - which sounds like a bad time to go to the gym.

If or when I get to 100%.... there are some outdoor wilderness adventures id like to do. Might have to modify this though since this is not best to do alone and my aging 50 something non-lyme friends are now old and lazy versions of their past active selves. Its sad to see otherwise healthy people change rapidly. Then again, its proven that people dont age the same. Think I need some childless thirty/ fourty year old outdoor friends.....good luck with that though ha ha...

Post Edited (astroman) : 8/15/2020 12:34:34 PM (GMT-6)

"I find it interesting that you are able to do so much biking."

- well...i've been in remission for a few years now after many decades. But my body was trashed and twisted from this which is why I had to do such re-conditioning.

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I love nature and am very close to medium size parcels of it. There is a reason so many city people are a mental mess, we were not made for concrete everywhere. Million acre designated true wilderness is not to far from me, which is what im drawn to. No cell phone towers, no roads inside. I can still be safe and just dip into the edges of it which is still fulfilling...but whats deep inside is what were made for and so alluring.

I can't wait to go back to the gym. I live in a SE US state that STILL has out of control forest fire transmission of COVID. Schools started to open back up in my region of the state so I'm doubting transmission will be under control any time soon. Of course, being in a red/SE state everything is open. I could go to the gym if I wanted, but someone needs to be pulling the rope towards responsibility in my neck of the woods.

In the meantime, I've been using bodyweight exercises for strength and sprints for cardio. I still deal with TBI's, and, even though I love jogging, jogging will still put me out of commission for a week or more at times. For some reason, sprints seem to be more tolerable (as long as I don't overdo it). It might have something to do with aerobic vs. anaerobic exercise.