Workout Check..Am I Sore?

Growing up, I played on a competitive club soccer team. We traveled most weekends to compete in tournaments, where we would play two or three games a day. That is a lot of soccer. My favorite part of the weekend though, was the Monday morning after, barely able to get out of bed because my muscles ached from soreness. I enjoyed every second of walking to and from my classes at school, feeling the soreness in every step. My teammates loved it too. We would brag to each other how sore we were, trying to prove how hard we had worked. I clung to that feeling. I longed for that soreness. It made me feel accomplished. I knew I had really given it my all, and that I was a legitimate athlete if I was unable to walk properly the next day.

That mentality has stuck with me. I no longer have tournaments that force me to play three soccer games in one day, but when I work out, I want to be sore. If not, I think "I did not work hard enough. I didn't accomplish anything. I need to really increase my workout next time." FALSE. I am learning that soreness is not something to be coveted. It means I pushed my body out of its comfort zone, which is not always a bad thing, but expecting that to happen after every workout is unhealthy and crazy!

The article below explains the myth behind soreness=progress. I do not agree with the paragraph which encourages us to get into a body composition monitor, (just don't do that..not a good idea for anyone) but I like how the article explains how scientifically a lack of soreness in muscles does not mean your body did not reap benefits from the workout.

The cliche takeaway that I am still trying to convince myself of....Listen to your body! (whatever the heck that means)

http://thechalkboardmag.com/fit-or-fiction-the-truth-about-no-pain-no-gain

Textbook Outrage

This semester I am in a class all about health and fitness. Believe me, this was not my choice. It is a required course, and being a senior, I could not put it off any longer. I dreaded taking this course not because I dislike learning about health and fitness but quite the opposite. I have been so obsessed with this subject for so long that I am currently trying not to focus my efforts on it. But having to take this class for graduation, I thought it would not be that bad. I was sure it would discuss a healthy balance of food and exercise-probably explain the importance of carbs and protein, maybe tell a story of a young girl Karen who joined the soccer team just to have fun, but little did she know she was doing her body a favor with exercise. That would have been nice. Instead I found myself reading this:

"Janice is going on vacation for a week. Unfortunately, this means she will be unable to  engage in her usual exercise program. She should..

	-accept that her exercise program will be off track and start anew in a few months.
	-enjoy her break from exercising and pick it up again the following week.
	-attempt to find a convenient way to exercise while gone, but not make it a priority.
	-bring her resistance bands and go on runs if her hotel does not have an  exercise room.

If you are in a bad mood or do not feel like exercising, you should

	-exercise anyway.
	-exercise when you feel better.
	-exercise even harder than normal to show yourself you can do it.
	give yourself permission to take a break from any type of exercise. The bold sentences are the "correct" answers. I was appalled. This textbook is telling me that  it is wrong to go on a ONE WEEK vacation and not exercise? Excuse me? After years of  speaking with dietitians, I know this is not true. If you feel you need to "bring resistance bands  and go on runs" while on vacation, then you have a problem. I am not saying exercising on  vacation is a bad thing at all. It is the motive behind it, which brings me to my next point of  frustration.... The second question bothered me even more. This book is now telling me I should force  myself to exercise no matter what. I have spent too much of my life forcing myself to workout. If you do not feel like exercising, then you do not have to! That is something I have been taught, and am in the process of learning now. Your body does not always need exercise. If  you do not feel like it, there might be a reason- you might be lacking sleep and a nap would be better for your body, or you might just need to rest! Contrary to everything society tells us, it is ok to give your body rest! It needs it! Constantly exercising is not healthy.  This textbook is an outrage. The "correct" answers to these questions are clearly disordered,  and I cannot believe it is considered a trusted source for health and fitness education.