Check out this video if you are unfamiliar with trigger point therapy…TPR Therapy, Ironman competitor

Have you ever wished you could afford a personal masseuse? One who could come to your home, preferably daily, to help relieve you of the knots and muscle tightness that inevitably occur from daily workouts and, well, being a mom? In search of a solution to my IT band issues, I tried a chiropractor (not money well spent), stretching, massage therapy (therapist too gentle to release deep tissue), and my O.D. The O.D. provided the most valuable information: without proper biomechanics, the body can’t move the way it should. So, we are working on improving the way I move. In the meantime, I bought the TPR kit from Trigger Point Performance Therapy. Wow! What a difference!

How it works: Each tool in the kit is designed to relief muscle tension and release trigger points (those tender knots many of us suffer from that hurt like the dickens when palpated and often cause radiating pain to muscles and joints nearby). Untreated, active trigger points can result in painful and less effective workouts, incomplete recovery from workouts, and eventually, injury. Relieving the tension that TPs place on muscles and the joints they act upon allows the joints to move through their full range of motion the way they are designed to. Basically, it is like getting a personal massage, at home, whenever you need it. I’ve used the kit for several months and love it. Regular use has improved the range of motion in my hips, relieved tension and TPs in my calves, quads, IT-band, pectorals, back, glutes…you name it. I feel fantastic!

The Ultimate 6 kit I purchased is designed to alleviate the trigger points in the calf, quads, IT-band, glute, abdomen, and shoulder that tend runners tend to acquire. I had all of them, and then some. The kit includes the TP Massage Ball, TP Footballer and TP Quadballer, an easy to follow guidebook, and DVD. Ideally, the tools should be used pre-workout, post-workout, and within 90-minutes of going to bed. While the therapy isn’t terribly time-invasive, the first few times you go through the release techniques, it does take at least 30-40 minutes (actually, I think it took me an hour because I had so many trigger points). Once you get the hang of it though, the sessions move more quickly. I have achieved a lot of relief from using these tools and highly recommend them to anyone who suffers from trigger point syndrome, athlete or not.

The cost for the Ultimate 6 is $150. Other kits are available, so check out their website: Trigger Point Performance Therapy

*I am in no way affiliated with Trigger Point Therapy and do not receive compensation for recommending TPR products.

Exercising is good for you, but if you exercise too hard, too long, too often, problems can arise. (Case in point – read: Listen to your body. Respect your limits.)

Overtraining syndrome occurs when the training you are doing breaks you down, making you weaker rather than stronger. This is why every training program, from marathon training to strength training, recommends a “rest day” after periods of intense training – this allows the body time to repair itself. Without this time to repair, regeneration of new muscle tissue doesn’t occur, and performance does not improve.

Maybe it is delayed onset muscle soreness, or the fact you mulched the yard right after running 7 miles and strength training the day before, but if you are an exercise fanatic, you may have overuse/overtraining issues. The symptoms of overtraining mirror symptoms of many things, but if you have in fact trained yourself into a tizzy, there are some common symptoms.

Common symptoms of overtraining:

*Fatigue that limits workouts and may even be present during rest.

*Moodiness and becoming easily irritated

*Insomnia and sleep problems

*Decreased appetite

*Weight loss

*Muscle soreness

*An increased number of illness

*Injuries that are taking longer to heal, or won’t heal

In this situation, adding more exercise, even after rest, will only make matters worse.

What to do:

REST! The more, the better, especially if you have been training intensely for some time. For example, if you have experienced symptoms for a month or so, resting for a week should help. After this rest time, resuming workouts on an every other day routine will ease the body back into activity. By reducing the volume of training you do, you’ll allow the body adequate recovery time.

Cross-training can never hurt. Mix up your regular routine with exercise that works different muscles. If you run, throw in a swim workout, or Pilates.

If a return to exercise brings symptoms of overtraining back, a trip to your physician or sports med doctor is in order. He/She can help you ease back into exercise safely.

Runners, I am SO jealous of you right now! As my injury slowly heals (waaaayyy too slow for my liking), I seem to notice more people hitting the jogging paths. Forgive me if I throw a rock at you as I drive by. ;0)

One thing I have learned through this rather inconvenient pain in my ass (literally), is that less might be is more. I stretched before said injury, but not enough. I went to yoga every so often, but I know it wasn’t enough. It had been some weeks months since I had a “taper week” or really, any light workout at all. My all or nothing attitude got the better of me. And so, here I am, having to heed my own advice. Believe me, it is like swallowing a bitter-tasting horse pill that then lodges in your throat. I’m learning, and passing along to you my plan of attack so that, 1) I’m held accountable, and 2) you can partake in a “less is more” workout if you chose – and actually, I highly advice that you do.

1. More stretching. Every day for me now. 15-30 seconds per major muscle group, plus some smaller muscles that are overworked and under-appreciated: IT band, tops of feet (perorius tertius, also known as dorsal flexors, as if you care, but you might), the soleus (calf muscle), and perorius longus (the muscle that runs down the outside of your lower leg.) My plan: 2 sets of each exercise, 5-7 days/week.

2. Yoga. The once/week deal I had going on was great…when I went. Clearly, I need yoga in my life, and I think yoga needs me. My plan: Ashtunga 2x/week for 60 mins for now. I’d like to get up to 3x/week and have one of those days include Hatha or a yoga/pilates fusion sort of thing. We’ll see where all this goes over the next few weeks.

3. Massage. I have two appointments set for next week, and after than, I’m shooting for once/month. The benefits of massage are so many that I have to send you away from here momentarily to check them all out. Read: “38 ways yoga keeps you fit“, and Please come right back

4. Taper weeks. The body can not handle day-after-day, week-after-week, of hard training. Period. As with any time of periodized program (marathon training comes to mind), you have to balance the building weeks with taper weeks where, literally, less is more. This gives the muscles time to recover and repair. My plan: every 4 weeks, make 2 of my workouts lighter (i.e, less hard).

5. Sleep more. My plan: 8 hours per night! That’s my mantra. I haven’t lived by this rule, and yet, sleep is so important for muscle repair and for keeping cortisol levels in check. And with that note, I’m off to bed!

I did a really, really dumb thing yesterday…I injured myself (while cross-training, of all things), because I listened to the instructor instead of the voice in my own head. Yes, you heard me right -I basically just told you to not listen to a fitness instructor.  Let me explain.

Maybe this was a premonition, or just a timely idea, but I found a bookmark the other day that said, “There is only one of me. There is only one of anybody. That is why steps look different on different people.” Judith Jamison said that. She was a well known dancer and choreographer, and obviously was aware that we are all individuals. Individually, we move differently because our bodies are put together differently. My range of motion is different than yours, yours is different than your neighbors, etc. Respect that. Know your limits.

I know, I’m usually encouraging you to push the limits…imagine NO limits…REMOVE limits. Those are “perceived” limits though – the kind of limits we place on ourselves such as, “I can’t do a triathlon, because I’m afraid to swim.” That is a fixable problem. The kind of limits I’m talking about are physical limits. Yes, there really are such things, and if you’ve ever tried yoga, you well know what I’m talking about. No doubt that first class felt awkward, hard, frustrating. Am I right? I doubt your body could bend and twist quite the same way as, well, any given person. Maybe you were more flexible. Maybe less. Alas, we are all different.

Now back to my dumb injury. I know my limits, and had been nursing a cranky piriformis problem for several months. Opting to attend a boot camp class I’ve frequented a few times this year (thinking the cross-training would do me some good), I did a stupid thing: I missed the warm up because I arrived late. Then, I did another silly thing: I listened to the instructor’s advice when she (not very tactfully, mind you) informed me that I wasn’t sprinting during one of her intervals because I wasn’t on my toes. A) I don’t sprint, and B) I don’t run on my toes. Ever. But, opting to prove to both myself and the instructor that I could, indeed, do it the “right” way, I badly strained my piriformis and part of my glute. Hurt like the devil, I tell you, but you know what? I’m the only one to blame. I knew better. The thing is, you might not, and I don’t want any of my readers to fall into this trap of, 1) aiming to please an instructor  (I could say more, but will take the higher road here), and 2) trying to prove something to yourself or anyone else, especially when you know your limits.

Listen to your body. Respect your physical limitations (you know what they are.) And finally, don’t assume that because someone is teaching a class, she knows your body. Only you know what your body can truly do – respect that, and don’t be afraid to tell an instructor, “sorry, I’m doing it my way, because I don’t feel comfortable trying something I don’t think I’m ready for.”

To your health, and SAFETY!

This was actually the topic of my radio show this morning on WIMA-AM, which has a male audience, but I know shoulder problems plague both men and women, so thought it would be appropriate to share my notes with all of you…

Shoulder impingement – prevention and rehab

Shoulder surgery is rapidly becoming one of the most common fitness/sports injury surgeries, among both men and women! In fact, I can count on two hands the number of people I know who’ve had shoulder surgery within the past two years. Scary stuff.

The shoulder is a tricky joint…because it is designed to move in all of the planes of motion. Because the shoulder has such a large range of motion, it is a rather “unstable” joint, making it prone to injury. This trick is to keep this joint stabilized without comprising flexibility too much.

Here are a few shoulder injury prevention tips:

1. Be aware of prior injuries.  Old football, tennis, gymnastics, and baseball injuries, falls, etc. can come back to haunt. If your shoulder gives you trouble from time to time, be aware that certain exercises could re-injure the shoulder: dips, push-ups done incorrectly, bench press, and overhead press are exercises known for causing torn shoulder ligaments.

2. Practice perfect form. Don’t go beyond your shoulder’s “normal” range of motion. This will be different for every person, so know your limits. And if an exercise hurts – DON’T DO IT!

3. Be aware of your sleep positions. Often, repetitive things, such as the position you sleep in, can cause problems. If you often sleep with your arm above your head, or in twisted underneath you, try varying your position so as not to cause undue harm while you sleep.

4. Progress strength training gradually. Lifting too much weight too soon is a recipe for trouble when it comes to the shoulder. If you have shoulder problems, it is best to start with light weights and progress slowly. Resistance tubes and the TRX are excellent tools for building shoulder strength or for rehab.

If you should injure your shoulder, it is important to have the injury evaluated immediately. If the injury isn’t serious, the joint can be rehabilitated through physical therapy. This will prevent further trauma and possibly future injury.

If you have chronic shoulder problems, a physical therapist can assess why, and prescribe exercises that will improve the integrity of the shoulder joint. If you suspect a tear, please seek the advice of an orthopedic physician and discontinue shoulder exercises.