Thank goodness it is Thursday! Today is my Friday, and I’m needing it!!
After reading Courney’s post the other day, I thought that I would wait to share with you all my idea of fitness and what I do after I explained a few things first.
As you all have read in my journey, I have had several health issues, and they have forced me to rethink what I thought was exercise and “fitness”. See, when you don’t have a monthly cycle, the last thing you want to be doing in strenuous exercise. I just wish someone had told me that sooner.
My idea of exercise has changed tremendously over the past couple years. I never knew that I had a problem with my cyles due to the fact that I was on birth control. That forced me to have a cycle each month, medically. I was running every day. 5-6 miles through the week and a long run on Saturdays that was 10+ miles. I was training and ran the Women’s Half Marathon in Nashville. During that race, my knee started bothering me and I was unable to run for now almost 2 years. What a blessing in disguise!
Then, I turned to the Insanity program, which I LOVED. I still had no idea that I shouldn’t be doing intense exercise during this time. My doctors told me that it might take up to 6 months for my cycles to come back after birth control, so I continued to do what I was doing. (I am not saying that you shouldn’t do Insanity. If you are completely healthy, I highly encourage it!)
I also fell in love with spin during this time. So between, Insanity, spin, and random bootcamp classes, I was hitting my body pretty hard. Although I was still nourishing my body and gaining weight, the exercise wasn’t helping my system any.
It wasn’t until I two great girls posted on this that I started to understand my body more. Since then, I have tremendously cut back my exercise. Is it hard? Heck yes! Worth it… I know it will be!
So now, I do lots of pilates, yoga, walking, low intensity cardio (jogging, aerobics) 1 time a week, and weights. This is why Luvy bought me my HR monitor. I am monitoring it so that it will stay in a low range. I don’t want to do heart pumping exercising right now until my body has healed.
I use a lot of youtube workouts that are free and DVD’s. I don’t go to the gym or any classes. I just do what I can do at home.
In the past, I never would have called a walk “exercise”. Yoga was something to be done after my long runs to stretch out, now it is my stand alone workout.
Do I still crave intense workouts? Yes.
Do I fall off the wagon occasionally? Yes.
That is another reason I wanted to write this post. I want you all to keep me accountable!
I haven’t been diagnosed with HA like Courtney, Ashley, or Chelsea. Actually, I haven’t been diagnosed at all! So, for now, I’m keeping it low impact and low intensity until I get more answers.
I’m learning to listen and to trust my body. I’m fueling it whenever it tells me its hungry. I give in to cravings. I sit on my couch if I’m too tired to exercise. I’m pampering myself. I know I will be better off for it!
Do you all listen to your body?
Does your body crave high intensity workouts or more mellow workouts like yoga?
Would you all like for me to get a list together of my online workouts and DVDs?
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the honesty in this post (and I loved it in Courtney’s too). It really gets me thinking about what’s going on (or not going on) in my body right now. I’m on a pill where it’s common for you to have no cycle, but I was also put on medicine that shut down my system completely for 4 months. It’s now been 7 full months of nothing which doesn’t seem normal but for now they’re calling it normal. That part of our bodies is such a mystery to me…
Thanks Katie! I know… our bodies are so complex. It is amazing what medicines will do right??
You know how proud I am of you!!! I know it’s not easy, but I promise it will be worth it in the end.
Love you!
I couldn’t do it without you!!
Love you!!
good for you girl! xo
Thanks Lindsay! I tell ya… my body sure is missing your workouts!
Thanks Paige!! Intense workouts do feel great, but I’m learning to take it easy on my body. I have been doing some of your strength workouts! Can I say… sore!!!
Good for you for listening to your body and finding what works. it is all about finding that balance of movement and health. Great story and I am so glad you shared this
Thanks Alex!! Finding balance can be tough!!
Glad you are putting your body first and choosing health over everything. I hope that you find the right doctor who will help your through this and hopefully give you some answers. Until then, I like the idea of low intensity exercise. I think in terms of health, it’s still getting the job done and takes off so much pressure that women seem to have with working out (wanting a faster mile time, wanting to always set new goals). Our first goal should be our health!
So true!! I think sometimes we see other people’s time or what they do and we think we have to be at their level. I’m trying to remind myself that my health and future are more important than a workout right now!
Thank you for sharing your story! I think it’s great that you’re listening to your body. I do a mix of high intensity and low intensity workouts, because I usually need to let my body recover after a hard workout!
Good for you girl!! Way to keep it balanced!
I have recently been bitten by the running ‘bug’ and am trying to learn how to balance longer, harder workouts without going overboard. Healthwise, I think I’m OK, but it is hard for me to take a day off! I need to force myself to do so. My body is pretty good about telling me that it will NOT run and will only allow me to chill out on the elliptical while catching up on celebrity gossip on certain days, though.
I have noticed you are a running queen lately! Go you!! Make sure you take those days off… I don’t want you to get IT band syndrome or injured!
Good for you, Brittany! I’m so proud of you
Thanks Court! You have been a big inspiration!
Thank you for your story Brittany!
We are definitely going through similar things right now!
I wish someone told me about the strenuous exercise and missing period sooner as well. Actually, my doctor tells me its fine and that I should be exercising. Um…no. She doesn’t have much experience in these issues, but when I so my gyno and an endocrinologist they were both shocked my doctor suggested that.
That actually is a really great idea to buy a HR monitor for those reasons, and I’m looking into getting one for the same. I don’t want to reverse my progress that I’m doing.
Sometimes, doctors don’t understand or don’t know to diagnose it. I’d say keep doing what you are doing because it sounds like that!
I’m so proud of you for listening to your body and doing what is right for it!
Our high intensity workouts that we love will always be there when we are healthy again, but our health or bone health isn’t going to be if we don’t take care of it.
<3
I know right?? It seems like doctors don’t know much about this! Rest, good fats, and more calories are what I’m focusing on! We are in it together!!
xoxo
I do crave the high intensity – but my trainer forbid cardio until I put on more (muscle) weight. Ugh. Lifting heavy is hard, and it does get my heart rate up… but sometimes you just want a sweaty run around town!
For real!! I have been lifting more now that I’m not doing cardio! I’m so sore!! lol…
I really need to get a heart rate monitor also. So as you know, last month, I had my first cycle in over a year..can’t tell you how excited I was. No words can describe the feeling. Since then, I thought..”oh my body’s doing better now..I can go join the gym again and get more active.” I’ve been doing all these group classes, and they are pretty high-intensity. But I just love feeling the adrenaline rush again that I’m continuing to go. However, it’s time for my next cycle, and my body’s not reacting the same way as it did last month. The last thing I want to do is to revert back…I need to scale back. I really don’t think of walking as an exercise..but I know that it is..and it’s exactly what my body needs.
Oh yes! You def should scale it back. Your body may just not be ready for that yet. You don’t want your body to regress and go back to before!
So awesome that you are listening to your body and giving it exactly what it needs! I know this is not easy to do but sometimes necessary! So proud of you
Thanks Danielle! It isn’t easy… but necessary!
I loved your honesty! Lately I’ve been thinking about cutting back on the intensity of my workouts–especially since we hope to have kids in the next couple years.
It is so worth it!! Do it now because it is so frustrating if you wait!!
Wow, thank you for opening up girl! I’m so proud of you for doing what is best for you and your body
. I know how hard it can be to cut back on the intense exercise, especially since it’s what you are so used to! I’m sure that everything will turn out great!
Thanks Lindsay! It is super frustrating and mentally challenging, but I know it will be worth it!!
So proud of you Brittany! Thank you so much for sharing your story. Just like I told the other girls, you’ve all been such an inspiration to so many of us.
Also wanted to let you know I nominated you for the Liebster Award on my page
Thanks Jessie!! And a big thanks for the nomination!!
xoxo
So glad you are making the right decision for yourself. I know it was must be super tough to give up intense workouts, but it’s always right to listen to your body.
Thanks girl! It is tough, but I know I’m doing the right thing!
So so glad you are making the right decision for yourself and addressing this all! I am right here with you right now and yep, it sure is tough! But we an do this, and we both know we are doing what is right for our bodies
So true! I’m so glad I have girls like you that are going through the same thing!
Hey girl, its so awesome that you have decided to listen to your body! I have had similar experiences with running and getting injured. Taking the time off from running and engaging in other forms of exercise like pilates and walking has allowed me to realize I can get a great workout other than running! I do crave the higher intensity exercises which is one reason i love running but you gotta listen to your body and not always push it to the max!!!
So true! I have fallen in love with pilates and I’m starting to enjoy yoga more! lol!
beautiful post, love – I love you so much
Thank you so much!! It seems this topic has been popping up all over the healthy blogging community. I am going through the exact same thing as all you lovely gals, and its so hard. Sometimes i get so mad at myself for letting my body get in this state and not listening to it. While its amazing to get in an intense workout and sweat like crazy, my body doesn’t need that, no matter how many fitness and health magazines tell me i do. That’s the hardest part, going against what we, and all of society, believe is healthy and really finding what is healthy for us! I love how strong you are being during this. I am having such a hard time cutting back on the exercise, but you have motivated me even more to listen to my body.
Again thank you!! and God bless you
I’m so glad that this helped you Caitlyn! I will be praying for you as you continue your journey. Keep me posted! I’m always an e-mail away! xoxo
The SAME thing happened to me! I was on birth control for years and years, but after I got divorced and money was a bit tight, I figured I’d save some money were I could and stopped taking it (didn’t need it anyway, right?). I got my period for like two months after that but the second month wasn’t really “normal”. After that, I went 9 months without it. I never thought I was pushing myself any more than what I considered normal (and by no means as hardcore as you), but after my mom nagged me for months, I finally went to the doctor. I had blood tests, I took Clomid and had more blood tests, I took Clomid and something else (can’t remember) and had MORE blood tests! In the end, it was just a bunch of money thrown around for nothing. My doctor still didn’t know what was wrong with me, and in the end, she just put me back on birth control. She suggested more tests, but I had had it with her and everything at that point. I took my prescription and moved on. Honestly, since I’ve been back on the pill, I guess I really don’t know if I can get a period on my own. I know that it could determine my future as far as having (or not having) children, but with where I am in life right now, I don’t see that happening for some time…Is it bad that I kinda think ignorance is bliss?