What's going on? Advice?

M

melimcn

Cathlete
Hi ladies,
I'm not a frequent poster, but you've always given me great advice...

I've posted something similar to this about a month ago, so please bear with me. It's not entirely redundant.

It seems that my workouts are doing more damage than good. This is new problem for me. For years, I've been working out with Cathe doing all kinds of variations - heavy weights (GS, STS, MM, S&H), circuits, bootcamps, kickboxing...you name it. I keep it pretty varied, but have always found that some combination of weights and cardio works best for my frame.

In the last 9 months or so (really, after having my last baby), I just feel beat up all the time. Constantly sore and achy. I realize some DOMS is a sign of a good workout, but it's nearly every day now. There was a time where I felt good after these work outs. Now I just feel rough. I've tried different instructors and tend to get the same results.

I've taken a rest week recently, and honestly, it was the best I've felt in a LONG time. No soreness, lots of energy.

So what do I do with that? I don't want to stop working out. But I'm afraid that switching to something less intense will make me lose results.
What do you guys think?
 
How often do you take a rest day? How many calories are you taking in? How much water? How much rest? All that plays apart in your energy level not to mention your new bundle of joy that does zap your mental, physical and spiritual energy.

Shereta
 
Thanks for responding!
I take weekends off - so Saturdays and Sundays are rest days for me.

Working on drinking more water. I'm terrible there.
I take in about 1800 cals/day (I'm 5'2", 137lbs), and that seems to maintain for me. And I tend to get aobut 7 hrs of sleep a night. So apart from the water, I think I'm doing good.

I guess maybe I need to look at Pilates, or something less strenuous and just see what happens?
 
I've experienced the same thing over the past year or so and tried to keep pushing. No good. So I finally decided to back off. And guess what? Things are much, much better. I'm still playing around with options to find out what works best for me, but in general, I've lowered the intensity of my workouts and rearranged so that I can include yoga. This does not mean I double up to do a workout and yoga on the same day - only one workout a day, no matter what type. I feel better, and I really haven't lost that much in "results" or whatever. My weight is holding steady, as are my measurements. I may have lost a bit of cardio capacity, but that's okay, because I was really pushing it before. So give it a try - I doubt you'll lose much, and you have a lot to gain!
 
This probably won't completely solve your problem - I think you've gotten some good suggestions so far - but I was feeling similar to you about 9/10 months ago.

I really examined my diet and realized I wasn't eating enough protein. I also stopped eating processed sugary foods like boxed cereal or granola bars. I tried adding more whole grains to my diet too. I can really feel a difference in my energy levels and ability to get through higher intensity workouts.

Hope it helps - you'll probably have to play around with a few things to figure out what works best for you.

Take care. :)
 
Is seven hours of sleep enough? It wouldn't be for me, personally. Try some yoga! It's good stuff.
 
You could try changing your rest days, maybe your body cant take the M-F beating. Try working out every other day instead and incorporating other workouts like KCM's 30 Minute To Fitness and yoga.
 
You mention having a baby in the past year? I'm not a doctor, but I have had 4 babies, and I know that after each one, it took me awhile to get myself back to 'normal'. Like over a year, sometimes (seems like it took longer with each one - maybe I'm just gettin' old :) ) When you think about everything your body went through to carry a baby, it's not all that surprising that recovery can drag on. It's partly physical recovery, but some of it's hormonal, which can affect your energy levels and how well you feel, and which can take awhile to level out. Plus, just having little ones around can wear you out a bit, even if you weren't physically recovering!

With that being said, have you talked to your doctor? It might be a good idea to see what they think - if you're getting worn out doing your normal activity level, it's definitely worth making sure there's not something more serious going on.
 
I would get yourself checked out - assuming you are sleeping and eating well. You could have low vit D, low Iron, low thyroid, etc.

Like GraceNote it took me over a year to recover from both my pregnancies (one a twin delivery, one a single).
 
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