Fitness Woes

[Gidds]

Thanks for the suggestions. I just had a session with my new $3 jump rope and some fast-paced walking (the deer flies made sure of the pace). I think I'm far too shy for martial arts since I have this problem with touching and with crowds :blush: I can't think of a sport that I can enroll in that doesn't involve running. If anybody can think of one I am all ears. Running just causes me massive amounts of pain and annoyance. I have knee and ankel pain several times a week just from normal activities like walking around on campus. I think there is a coed ice hockey league I can join in the fall which is pretty much a pick-up league but it's in the evenings which is generally when I study (I hate grad school!). Also hockey, especially with men who wish to mop the ice with you, isn't very safe unless you're already in shape. I was thinking to myself the other day that I wished I had somebody to play badmitten with (no laughing!) but that's not really a high-impact activity

What is "upper cross syndrome"?

 

[scuba-punk]

If I can offer a suggestion for a "minimal-touchy-feely" martial art, I suggest T'ai Chi. It's great work for balance, concentration, spacial awareness, focus, relaxation and health in general - plus, you can work up a good sweat doing it. There are barehand and weapons forms and it's a non-stop learning process (like most martial arts). There are also sparing/partner exercises too, but that's usually once you learn enough to start working on application skills.

A few more things:
1) Check out Cameron's new book "Fitness for Divers" - it's awesome. Lots of great information.
2) It's my belief that lots of sports injuries come from bad biomechanics. Not to say that you can always overcome a severe predisposal to certain injuries, but often it's a matter of "how" you are going what you are doing rather than "what" you are doing. I used to get bad knee, hip and shin pain from running (of course I was 378 pounds at the time), then I read a book called "ChiRunning" by Danny Dreyer and it was a complete eye opener. I'm still a big guy, but I can now run without injury and actually love running for its simplicity and convenience.
3) Swimming and running require you to make sure that your body is in a proper position in 3 dimensional space. What most people don't realise about cycling is that practically all of your biomechanics in cycling are due to your bike fit. A poorly fitting bike is an open invitation to injury. A properly fitting bike is a joy to ride.
4) No quit, no excuses, no limits... Changing to a fitness minded lifestyle may or may not be easy for you, but either way you have to want to find a way to do it. If you aren't sold on it 100%, you can (and will) find any excuse to not do your workouts. If you are currently going to college, I'd be surprised if you don't have access to an amazing array of fitness equipment and facilities at your disposal - for the price of the tuition that you are already paying.

-Frank

 

[Gidds]

Thanks I shall check out the book. I finished college, I'm going to grad school which is significantly more time consuming and the university doesn't have the greatest fitness equipment although they do neat classes like the spinning I might try. I shall check and see if the uniersity does anything with tai-chi. I suspect they may. As far as biomechanics go I failed to mention that I ummm have some "interesting" musculo-skeletal "malformations" which I am aware are responsible for most of my sports problems, which just makes me cross because I want to be able to do what everybody else is doing. Ya know? I also forgot to mention that I have some ostepenia and wondered if that would effect what sports and fitness activities I can try? I'm guessing I ought not play pick-up hockey with ostepenia. Bleh. I just get very frustrated trying to find something fun to do that is good for me and that fits into my schedule and isn't painful.

 

[coach_izzy]

I second Frank's advice on Tai-chi. As gentle or as demanding on your joints as you're willing to make it. Upper cross syndrome is the result of overworking the powerful internal rotators (the pectoralis major and the latisimus dorsi aka pecs and lats) of the torso without balancing it with work for the anchors of the scapula (ie, the rhomboids). Hence the stooped posture of most swimmers, bench-press rats, etc. Notice that a lot of these people look as if they were developing a "hunch-back" which is the result of the thoracic spine yielding to accomodate for the pull of the rotators. Very poor levels of flexibility in the shoulder area usually accompany this, and usually go unnoticed until injury occurs. I hope this answers your question. Whatever activity you choose, it will be as succesful or as failed as you want to make it. Regardless of the activity, you will not get any results if you're not willing to put heart and soul into it. Good things take effort, dedication, planning, and perseverance. That's why most people fail miserably and look for those non-existing shortcuts. I wish you the best of luck and please keep us posted with your progress. Stay healthy. Coach Izzy

 

[scuba-punk]

Maybe your first stop shouldn't be the gym, but to a Physical Therapist's or Doctor's office. Lay everything on the line with them and allow their knowledge and experience to guide you with what you should do. Like I said before - if you want to do this, you will. If you aren't convinced that being fit is worth it, nothing will convince you otherwise.

-Frank

 

[Gidds]

Orthopedists brush me off because I am "not a competitive athlete". The general medical advice I get is to "take more Advil". Other than that I am not restricted from any physical fitness activities.

 

[lissette]

I am really not to fond of gyms and running etc either.
For my cardio and some resistance i am starting up inline skating again, i have to drive 10 mins to get to some good paths, but it beats negotiating traffic so its worth it.

For my strength training and muscle endurance i took up rockclimbing. There are some really good indoor venues too and it is amazing how fast you get results if you really work. The best bit is it just gets your adrenalin going so you dont even feel like you are working out and you never get bored.
Its also good alternative activity if the weather is just no good for diving and you really want to get out and do something and have fun. Its amazing how many divers i have met while rockclimbing, who are there building upper body strength.

Pilates is a good one for resistance training too, they really make you work!

 

[scuba-punk]

I give Pilates a thumbs-up too. Just even the basic body alignment things you learn are great. Just that little bit of info helped my strength training and Taijiquan quite a bit. I would however suggest that you go to a reputable Pilates instructor to get started. It is way too easy to damage something if you don't start off with proper alignment. A video tape can't tell you if you are doing it properly. The rock climbing suggestion is good too. I started climbing at an indoor gym this summer to prepare for an upcomming adventure race. You can bet that I'll be going there over the winter too.

Other than telling you to find something that you like that won't hurt you, I don't know what other advice we can give you. It's a huge world out there full of opportunities that should not be wasted. If you want to do it, you will (see a trend?).

-Frank

 

[Gidds]

Can you do pilates if you're already permenantly out of alignment in a few places?
I appreciate everybody's suggestions, I wouldn't have thought of half of them by myself. Hopefully I can find something that works for me. Jumping rope and brisk walking is minimally sufficient for now.

 

[Orlando Eric]

Eat LESS and EAT smart. No gadgety diets just the food groups and a balanced meal!

Swim Great idea! If you can not find the Sloth power to actually go anywhere and do anything then do PT when you get up. Crunches and Situps. Pushups, Leg lifts, Jumping jacks. Find out how many you can do and then push out a couple extra.

At 35 I found myself sitting at a desk as a sales manager sweating % points and 25# overwieght and unhappy. I QUIT! I quit the job and resarted in a new career and QUIT pounding reese cups and chinese take out down my gullet!

Do not get so caught up in the gimmicky diets and programs that you end up not doing them! Just get out there and get moving! Swimming is awesome but fifty situps, crunches and pushups are better than a cup of coffee and a eclair!

Get fit! - Be happy!

Eric