This aging thing really sucks
Discussion
OK, so I was cruising along on my weight-loss, physique and stamina improvement programme--cycling 20 miles or running 5 each morning, and either an hour of tennis or soccer in the evening. Everything was fantastic, I was feeling on top of the world, people were complimenting me, I was learning more and more about nutrition, stretches, etc. and then, last Monday, just like that, one little wrong twist or overextension of my foot when going to take a kick, and I tore up my right thigh muscle pretty badly, with a massive bruise appearing within seconds. I hobbled off the field and went home to apply ice, then tiger balm and elevation, and lots of waiting for it to heal (3 whole days).
Except I didn't wait long enough, I guess. Went biking in the moring yesterday, and it seemed fine. Played tennis yesterday evening, and it was fine for almost an hour, and I stopped playing as soon as it started hurting. Ow, home for more tiger balm and massage, elevation. Bruise is receding. So I go to just kick a soccer ball around today, and the other leg's groin area and then the thigh seemed to go within seconds of each other.
So I am properly laid up now. This sucks. It really, really sucks. I am worried about gaining my weight back, about losing any conditioning I had, etc., etc.
So, before I call up my doctor, any advice? For groin pulls? Torn muscles? Excerises I can do while in bed? Did I mention this sucks?
Except I didn't wait long enough, I guess. Went biking in the moring yesterday, and it seemed fine. Played tennis yesterday evening, and it was fine for almost an hour, and I stopped playing as soon as it started hurting. Ow, home for more tiger balm and massage, elevation. Bruise is receding. So I go to just kick a soccer ball around today, and the other leg's groin area and then the thigh seemed to go within seconds of each other.
So I am properly laid up now. This sucks. It really, really sucks. I am worried about gaining my weight back, about losing any conditioning I had, etc., etc.
So, before I call up my doctor, any advice? For groin pulls? Torn muscles? Excerises I can do while in bed? Did I mention this sucks?
Groin pulls are tough because you use that area of your body so much in everyday life and don't realize it until you get a pull there. My sister and Brother-in-law are both Physical Therapists and what they have always told me for soft tissue injuries is ice for the first 24 hours and heat for the next and after that then alternate to control soreness, inflammation, Etc. Make sure you give yourself time to properly heal before you go full bore again, once you are some what healed your bike will be your best friend because it is low impact, but the first exercise that I would recommend as you start to heal would be swimming, if you want to you can paddle around with just your arms so as not to aggravate the groin pull..
As for exercises while you are laid up try isometric exercises where you use one limb to push against another (but don't include your legs just yet), there are many things around the house that can be used as weights like 2 liter bottles of soda ,Etc. so put them to use. Surgical tubing makes for great resistance exercises and you should be able to find that at larger drug stores. Reduce your calorie intake as your metabolism slows and that should help keep the weight off, grab a veggie plate with your favorite low-cal dressing instead of ice cream.
......and lastly, don't become an automotive technician at our age, after my first week I feel I might have pulled my whole body....
As for exercises while you are laid up try isometric exercises where you use one limb to push against another (but don't include your legs just yet), there are many things around the house that can be used as weights like 2 liter bottles of soda ,Etc. so put them to use. Surgical tubing makes for great resistance exercises and you should be able to find that at larger drug stores. Reduce your calorie intake as your metabolism slows and that should help keep the weight off, grab a veggie plate with your favorite low-cal dressing instead of ice cream.
......and lastly, don't become an automotive technician at our age, after my first week I feel I might have pulled my whole body....
Given the title of the thread not sure how old you are, but you might find that you are over exercising if you are running/cycling in the morning and playing football in the evening. The body needs rest as well as exercise as part of training. Don't get too hung up about missing a session as long as you don't overeat out of frustration instead. It's a long haul job, not a quick fix one.
I am 37, but I was really out of shape. And I did get into it slowly, and often did rest my body and tried to make sure that I wasn't overdoing it. I eased into running, starting off at .5 miles and slowly increasing to 5 miles. It was all going so well. I played soccer too much and too soon, I think. And the night it happened, I didn't have time to do my stretches before I was called out onto the field. That was a BIG mistake.
But yes, point taken about overdoing it. I just want to be fit, fit, fit. And thin...pah. I will have to really watch my caloric intake. Last night's party did not help.
But yes, point taken about overdoing it. I just want to be fit, fit, fit. And thin...pah. I will have to really watch my caloric intake. Last night's party did not help.
I would avoid football & Tennis until you are fully recovered - it would be so easy to tear the muscle again through overstretching or slipping - even if it feels like it is recovering well.
Cycling using lower gears and 'spinning' more or a gym cross training machine are both aerobically demanding with less chance of overstretching your muscles again.
Muscles take longer to repair than bones so don't overdo it too soon.
Cycling using lower gears and 'spinning' more or a gym cross training machine are both aerobically demanding with less chance of overstretching your muscles again.
Muscles take longer to repair than bones so don't overdo it too soon.
Thanks, Roman. I intend to avoid football for a full month, do you think that will be long enough? How can I gauge how much the muscle has mended, or how much recovery I still have to wait for?
The tennis lessons...I will see what I can do about putting them on hold. I had a special deal with the coach and I really enjoy them, so I hate having to forego those. But if I must, I will.
Also going to try the biking and running very gingerly.
The tennis lessons...I will see what I can do about putting them on hold. I had a special deal with the coach and I really enjoy them, so I hate having to forego those. But if I must, I will.
Also going to try the biking and running very gingerly.
A month sounds good - before you go back on the pitch to train. Give it longer before you play a game and in the meantime invest in some neoprene shorts: you'll feel like a gimp but they'll help keep your quads warm.
As a complete couch potato at 37 I started my physical 'comeback' with a return to the hockey field after an absence of ten years: I play in goal and found it impossible to stay warmed-up between bouts of goalmouth drama without a lot of effort.
At the end of the season I decided that I was losing more fitness through injury than I was gaining through training, so I binned hockey and took-up triathlon.
A year later and I am an IroningMan, but still just as vulnerable to injury if I don't look after myself - the big lesson seems to be allowing enough time for injuries to heal: if you don't leave it for long enough you'll do it again and then you'll have to leave it even longer than if you'd rested it properly in the first place.
It takes much longer to heal now that it did when you were in your early twenties and, if you're anything like me, you're probably carting around a few kilos that you didn't have then, so everything is working harder to achieve the same result.
I'd say more than two sessions aday, more than five days a week, is OTT unless you're peaking for a big event, but, as someone said above, your bike is your friend.
As a complete couch potato at 37 I started my physical 'comeback' with a return to the hockey field after an absence of ten years: I play in goal and found it impossible to stay warmed-up between bouts of goalmouth drama without a lot of effort.
At the end of the season I decided that I was losing more fitness through injury than I was gaining through training, so I binned hockey and took-up triathlon.
A year later and I am an IroningMan, but still just as vulnerable to injury if I don't look after myself - the big lesson seems to be allowing enough time for injuries to heal: if you don't leave it for long enough you'll do it again and then you'll have to leave it even longer than if you'd rested it properly in the first place.
It takes much longer to heal now that it did when you were in your early twenties and, if you're anything like me, you're probably carting around a few kilos that you didn't have then, so everything is working harder to achieve the same result.
I'd say more than two sessions aday, more than five days a week, is OTT unless you're peaking for a big event, but, as someone said above, your bike is your friend.
WaterSki, Surf, Kayak and Boxing supply shops would have neoprene shorts as well.
For your needs you should probably get 3 MM or a bit thicker and if you can't find any local to you, try ordering some from Overton's.
www.overtons.com/modperl/overtons/detail/pdetail2.cgi?r=detail_view&item_num=12104&fcat=
For your needs you should probably get 3 MM or a bit thicker and if you can't find any local to you, try ordering some from Overton's.
www.overtons.com/modperl/overtons/detail/pdetail2.cgi?r=detail_view&item_num=12104&fcat=
orgasmicliving!! said:
Thanks, Roman. I intend to avoid football for a full month, do you think that will be long enough? How can I gauge how much the muscle has mended, or how much recovery I still have to wait for?
The tennis lessons...I will see what I can do about putting them on hold. I had a special deal with the coach and I really enjoy them, so I hate having to forego those. But if I must, I will.
Also going to try the biking and running very gingerly.
The tennis lessons...I will see what I can do about putting them on hold. I had a special deal with the coach and I really enjoy them, so I hate having to forego those. But if I must, I will.
Also going to try the biking and running very gingerly.
It took 2-3months for my badly twisted ankle to heal sufficiently for me to resume hard circuit training at 100% effort, I was cautious before this. If you tear the muscle again during recovery it will be that much weaker and take much longer to heal.
You could use the recovery time to concentrate on other aspects of your game such as upper body strength, ball skills etc.
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