Fitness, rehab and recovery

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Just when you get into a rhythm, a wrench gets thrown into the system.

After the whole winter on the wind trainer, which is not my favorite thing in the world (if cycling outside felt like cycling inside, I’d find a different favorite sport), I’ve had to take the last month almost completely off.

Well, not completely, but all my cycling and water running had to be performed under the pain threshold.

When you’ve strained all the low-back muscles and obliques and abs that connect into the right hip, it doesn’t take much to cause pain.

Add a cold that went on for a month, subsided for two weeks and came crashing down again, and the training consistency went out the window.

Welcome to the world of rehab.

Suddenly, it’s all about the little muscles.

I might have the big outer muscles figured out, like abs, obliques and glutes, but apparently my gluteus medius (small muscle on the side of the hip) and multifidus (small muscles between each vertebrae of the spine) have been woefully ignored.

On the plus side, I know a great physiotherapist, chiropractor and massage therapist who have helped me through the last few weeks.

I’ve even gone to my doctor and a naturopath to find out why in the world I can’t seem to get over this cold.

Apparently, being anemic doesn’t help the immune system.

OK, so I did try to cut red meat from my diet, along with wheat, potatoes, dairy and sugar.

What is there left to eat you ask . . . vegetables, brown rice, quinoa, brown rice cakes, nuts, seeds, two or three pieces of fruit, chicken, fish.... I’m sure there would be much more to eat if I was a more adventurous and skilled cook, but I lack the energy needed to make food creative.

Needless to say, red meat is back in my diet.

I just can’t seem to eat enough spinach and, truthfully, I like the odd steak.

All I can say is the cold and the injury made me feel sorry for myself.

It’s time to snap out of it, though, before I undo the benefits that were so difficult to earn.

I’m finally feeling better besides the odd sniffle and cough.

I’m back to being able to push some power on the bike and have enjoyed getting outside and away from the indoor cycling.

The positive side of dealing with adversity is the deeper appreciation you get when things go well.

Shawn Wenger is a BCRPA-registered personal trainer |and weight-training and group fitness instructor. She runs Fitness For Mortals. Her email address is here.