What is your coming back from illness workout?

Cupcake:

no beating yourself up! We have all been where you are, me, I am there several times per year!

Never underestimate the conditioning value of walking. All fall long, all I have done is walk: between 6-9 miles per day. Some walks along streets, some through the woods, tramping up and down hills. I did this for 3 reasons: 1) achilles tendonitis forced me into low impact mode; 2) I needed to get my husband into regular exercise as he is too sedentary and he will happily tramp alongside me if I drag him to the woods!; 3) as winter hit, so did depression and SAD and I lost the will to do HiiT/tabata/heavy wights, blah, blah. No motivation for balls-to-the-wall exercise at all.

Two days ago, now that it is getting too cold in MI to continue walking 6-9 miles daily, I am forced back inside, so I went to my gym and hit the treadmill. All the walking I did has helped me maintain a baseline of health and fitness such that I was able to step on the treadmill and after a 7 min warm up of fast walking, I could bang out a 6 mile run at 8 mph with 4 *1 min walk breaks. Not too shabby. tors

I am still nursing elbow tendonitis with which I was diagnosed in May: this is an "injury" that lingers and requires long-term maintenance. So sometimes I am able to lift heavy (for me) on the upper body, sometimes not, and I have not been able to lift consistently since May.

So, now, do you think you are alone No!!!! You have no reason to despair. Please don't. I'm right here with you. There are still things you can do. Whatever it is, do it. Spend the time on rehabbing at your pace: you are looking for long-term recovery from this injury. Meanwhile, yes, your cardiovascular endurance has taken a hit, but so what? You will get it back, just as I am now tying to do. We'll build it back together, yes?

The big picture is not the aesthetics of perfectly sculpted muscles, nor the incredible impressive display of superlative skills at HiiT or Crossfit, or whatever. The big picture is health and enjoying living in your body. Every activity in which you participate gets you furthe long that road.

Enjoy the journey, but take it at your own pace while you help that shoulder (?) to recover. You will get there. Incredibly advanced workouts by favourite fitness instructors can wait and will be ready for us when we are ready for them!

Clare
 
Thank you for all the suggestions and encouragement, it's highly appreciated! So I decided to try to get something done today. I figured nothing too hard and something to get the joints moving a little.
I tried Tracy Anderson's Mat workout. This was actually nice. Had to modify the right arm movements but i was able to do most of it. None of the overheads of course and none of the 3 lber arm sections. The rest of the range of motion arm stuff I managed. I could definitely see how different the other arm moved.
I think this would be good for me right now, particularly because the hips have been feeling tight too.
Do you think there's any truth to this teeny tiny arms TA promises? She looks teeny tiny. My limbs aren't exactly that big to begin with, just my gut.



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Thank you for all the suggestions and encouragement, it's highly appreciated! So I decided to try to get something done today. I figured nothing too hard and something to get the joints moving a little.
I tried Tracy Anderson's Mat workout. This was actually nice. Had to modify the right arm movements but i was able to do most of it. None of the overheads of course and none of the 3 lber arm sections. The rest of the range of motion arm stuff I managed. I could definitely see how different the other arm moved.
I think this would be good for me right now, particularly because the hips have been feeling tight too.
Do you think there's any truth to this teeny tiny arms TA promises? She looks teeny tiny. My limbs aren't exactly that big to begin with, just my gut.
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Back in 2011, when I first did Metamorphosis, I lost inches everywhere, and wore a smaller size. I was at my lightest weight & smallest size, in 20 years, probably. I gained core strength, didn't lose as much in the waist as I did in arms, hips, butt, and thighs. Never lost inches in the thighs before that, really. Also lost body fat. In comparison, I think I gained more strength with her program because of the overall bodyweight movement focus. I'm doing a little experimenting with her workouts to see how different things work. Balance was and is a big benefit, stabilization. Some of her other workouts have lots of all fours and planks, so it's not like your not doing weighted arm work, it's just various percentages of your own bodyweight, isometrically. It was true for me, although I wouldn't ever say I was teeny tiny.

I think I gained more mobility through Jillian's type of workouts (level 1 type). I doubt you're up for that kind of thing, likewise there were some P90X lower body workouts that were effective that way. Those or Cathe's without weight, you might be able to do.

I read this one post about someone who used a corset for gut reduction, not something I would advocate, but apparently this is what some women do.

Good to hear you're moving again.
 
I look at her stuff and wonder how flapping the arms around could get you defined arms when I used to lift and it would take quite a bit of consistent work to get any shape. But I figure the arm movements would help loosen up the shoulders.
The floor work reminds me of the 80s with Jane Fonda and The Firm. I'm definitely not ready for The Meta or JM at this stage. Don't laugh, I ordered her Post Pregnancy workout. No I'm not PP. But even trying to cradle my head for a regular crunch is a challenge with the right arm.


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I look at her stuff and wonder how flapping the arms around could get you defined arms when I used to lift and it would take quite a bit of consistent work to get any shape. But I figure the arm movements would help loosen up the shoulders.
The floor work reminds me of the 80s with Jane Fonda and The Firm. I'm definitely not ready for The Meta or JM at this stage. Don't laugh, I ordered her Post Pregnancy workout. No I'm not PP. But even trying to cradle my head for a regular crunch is a challenge with the right arm.
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The first PP one? or second? I don't have either, FWIW, midsection is always the last place I lose. I think Bodyshred is working on it, it's all those dam burpees. I did a little looking at the shoulder thing, if you don't have the fluid there, I don't know how much you can do about that. Otherwise I ran across a site showing how military personnel train the smaller muscles to prevent shoulder injury, because it is so common. Fancy that, troops doing TA. Now that I'd like to see.
 
I look at her stuff and wonder how flapping the arms around could get you defined arms when I used to lift and it would take quite a bit of consistent work to get any shape. But I figure the arm movements would help loosen up the shoulders.
The floor work reminds me of the 80s with Jane Fonda and The Firm. I'm definitely not ready for The Meta or JM at this stage. Don't laugh, I ordered her Post Pregnancy workout. No I'm not PP. But even trying to cradle my head for a regular crunch is a challenge with the right arm.


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I used TA's pregnancy workouts during my pregnancy. I couldn't stand her, or the endless all-fours leg work, but I loved the arm flapping stuff for this very reason you mention. It totally got my shoulders and back moving beautifully in a way I just couldn't do with regular stretching. Felt great.
I also have her PP workout -- it is a solid, core-focused toning workout. She blabs on a while at the beginning, but you can skip that.
She has one DVD of four 15-minute workouts: arms, glutes, legs, and abs. I forget what it's called, but I like it. She largely keeps a lid on the chatter, too, which is good. It's billed on the cover as "4 15-minute cardio workouts". They aren't cardio workouts.
Good luck getting your shoulder girdle back in the saddle!
Roz
 
Hi

What routine/workouts do you start off with after being sick or injured? I'm going to need to ease back into it after laryngitis and a bad upper respiratory tract infection. I also have a frozen shoulder that's made life a bit difficult the last 2 months.

But there's weight to lose and I don't like feeling weak like this. What do you usually use when easing back?

My comeback routine is always The Firm Volume 1, one set of each upper body muscle and plenty of mat work which I welcome on a lazy day. She does just enough of the right moves. 2nd I do Margaret Richard Getting Better. Complete and not too tough.
 
My start-Cathe-routine-again is always : 1) Basic Step 2) Cardio + Weights again 3) LoMax 4) Cardio + Weights again 5) Lo Max again and go from there...It's psychologically comforting to me, I guess. :) But, for me, it works, and eases me into it.

I have a different start-gym-again routine too. :)
 
I used TA's pregnancy workouts during my pregnancy. I couldn't stand her, or the endless all-fours leg work, but I loved the arm flapping stuff for this very reason you mention. It totally got my shoulders and back moving beautifully in a way I just couldn't do with regular stretching. Felt great.
I also have her PP workout -- it is a solid, core-focused toning workout. She blabs on a while at the beginning, but you can skip that.
She has one DVD of four 15-minute workouts: arms, glutes, legs, and abs. I forget what it's called, but I like it. She largely keeps a lid on the chatter, too, which is good. It's billed on the cover as "4 15-minute cardio workouts". They aren't cardio workouts.
Good luck getting your shoulder girdle back in the saddle!
Roz
Hi,

I purchased quite a few of her workouts from Amazon because they were all on sale. The woman seems to get quite a reaction from people...they either really like her or hate her. I posted a link on FB to one of her youtube videos and my niece disliked her on sight.
I on the other hand, really like her. I have read a lot of reviews and i don't understand the negativity. How much instruction do you really need to do leg lifts and shoulder circles? Now the Dancing....yes, that's just plain crazy. At least for those of us without dance training but her new stuff is very simple.
i tried PP last night and I wondered if PP women are strong enough for that, I certainly found it challenging and I'm not PP!
So far I like the original Mat Workout, The Beginner's Mat and Dance + Cardio.
I tried Beginner's Dance Cardio last night and PP and Beginner's Mat. Today I ache in strange places.



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Hi

What routine/workouts do you start off with after being sick or injured? I'm going to need to ease back into it after laryngitis and a bad upper respiratory tract infection. I also have a frozen shoulder that's made life a bit difficult the last 2 months.

But there's weight to lose and I don't like feeling weak like this. What do you usually use when easing back?




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I would say it depends on the illness or injury. If it's a knee injury or aching hip, I avoid step aerobics, high impact, high box leg presses, anything requiring me to get on the floor, deep squats, lunges, or the stability ball (because it can be challenging to sit on if there's knee instability at all). I focus on the resistance band, rubber tubing, upper body, low impact floor aerobics (four-limb with light dumbbells, for example) and standing leg lifts (Turbo Barre-type stuff). If it's serious fatigue, injury, or illness, I typically avoid brand-new workouts, too. New cardio routines especially require my complete focus and energy. In general, I'd suggest:

Basic Step
Body Fusion
Push Pull
Core Max, no equipment segment only
Stretch Max, resistance band segment only
Total Body Stretching, any segment
Ab Circuits, Pilates or no equipment segment
Pure Strength Back, Biceps and Abs
Travel Fit (the lack of hoisting or moving a lot of equipment is a big plus if you're trying to get over an illness or injury)
Any premix of a favorite workout, one lasting no more than 30-35 minutes, modified to make it comfortable (and possibly all low-impact)
 
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I just had to think about this today-first workout after a week being sick. I did the step segment from 4 Day Split low intensity A nice easier one to get back into the routine


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