Why do I feel weak when working out makes you stronger?

Standing in my closet I try to plan my outfit for the day, 

I decide bending over to put pants on is impossible so I just reach for a slip on dress. 

Cute and no one can tell I'm babying my sore muscles. 

Winning!

Yesterday morning I broke my record time for a mile. 11 minutes and 23 seconds!

(Not impressive for most runners but for this lazy girl that's cause for celebration.)

After I recovered from that, yes I am that out of shape, I worked on abs, A LOT.

When I left the gym I was extremely proud of myself.

For 5 years my only exercise was doing massage. 

Progress!

Then the unexpected happened. 

My second job is taking care of babies and yesterday we were in a room without a rocking chair so when a sweet girl came in super sleepy I was left with the choice of letting her cry or sitting in the floor rocking her for an hour. My abs were screaming at me. 

Work out on top of a work out.

If exercise will make me stronger why do I feel so weak?

Thankfully due to my massage knowledge and a little of my boyfriend's Personal Training schooling I know that DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) is normal and not something to run to the ER for but not everyone knows so I am going to take a moment and explain WHY you hurt after physical activity and HOW to feel better then you do hurt.

The WHY you hurt:

I could go into technical terms myself but I find this article sums it up nicely.

"Delayed onset muscle soreness is thought to be a result of microscopic tearing of the muscle fibers. The amount of tearing (and soreness) depends on how hard and how long you exercise and what type of exercise you do. Any movement you aren't used to can lead to DOMS, but eccentric muscle contractions (movements that cause muscle to forcefully contract while it lengthens) seem to cause the most soreness. Examples of eccentric muscle contractions include going down stairs, running downhill, lowering weights and the downward motion of squats and push-ups. In addition to small muscle tears there can be associated swelling in a muscle which may contribute to soreness."  Sports Medicine

The HOW to help:

In the same article from above I found a great list as to how to help.. here's the list with a little bit of my professional insight. 

• Use Active Recovery. This strategy does have support in the research. Performing easy low-impact aerobic exercise increasing blood flow and is linked with diminished muscle soreness. After an intense workout or competition, use this technique as a part of your cool down. - Great advice that I have seen and felt work time and time again.
• Rest and Recover. If you simply wait it out, soreness will go away in 3 to 7 days with no special treatment. - Beware of these words! Rest and recover does not mean sitting in a lone position all day, this will create more soreness. it means take it easier than the activity that caused the soreness not stopping all together. Your muscles can't repair correctly without movement.
• Try a Sports Massage. Some research has found that sports massage may help reduce reported muscle soreness and reduce swelling, although it had no effects on muscle function. - Of course this one is my favorite. Getting a massage RIGHT after a workout is the best! Not only do you leave feeling like a wet noodle, but your therapist is able to benefit your body better since your blood flow is already increased and nerves willing to relax. Plus who doesn't want a nap after a hard workout?
• Try an Ice Bath or Contrast Water Bath. Although no clear evidence proves they are effective, many pro athletes use them and claim they work to reduce soreness. - Having done it myself I can say that although uncomfortable at first you feel great afterwards.
• Use R.I.C.E., the standard method of treating acute injuries, if your soreness is particularly painful. - ALWAYS good advice for injuries.
• Perform Gentle Stretching. Although research doesn't find stretching alone reduces muscle pain of soreness, many people find it simply feels good. - gentle is the key here, don't overstretch already sore muscles.
• Try a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory. Aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium may help to temporarily reduce the muscle soreness, although they won't actually speed healing. Be careful, however, if you plan to take them before exercise. Studies reported that taking ibuprofen before endurance exercise is not recommended. - I personally HATE this one. Pills only cover the main problem not solve it. Use pain killers only as an option Z when EVERYTHING else has be exhausted and you are still in pain.
• Try Yoga. There is growing support that performing Yoga may reduce DOMS. - Only having recently tried yoga for shoulders I have a limited opinion but I have notices I feel looser on days I do my shoulder poses.
• Listen to Your Body. Avoid any vigorous activity or exercise that increases pain. - YES!
• Allow the soreness to subside thoroughly before performing any vigorous exercise. -YES!
• Warm Up completely before your next exercise session. There is some research that supports that a warm-up performed immediately prior to unaccustomed eccentric exercise produces small reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness (but cool-down performed after exercise does not). - I myself have a hard time with this.. I don't know the difference between warm up and exercise but thankfully my wonderful boyfriend is going to school to be a personal trainer so I'll figure that one out soon. If you are like me and don't know what to do, the internet is your best friend. 

** If your pain persists longer than about 7 days or increases despite these measures, consult your physician.

To learn more about exercise THIS LINK is the most specific as to what happens within the body during exercise I have found.

Bringing back the relaxation of massage.

Imagine with me: 

You've had a busy week at your desk typing and stressing everyday, you feel like your shoulders are more rock than tissue so you schedule a massage. 

You walk into a dimly lit room, soothing blue and rich purples surround you as the smell of orange and lavender fill your body. The soothing sounds of guitar fill your mind. 

You get undressed and climb into a table more comfortable than clouds ever could be. You pull the warm soft sheet over you floating almost to dreamland before the massage even begins. Aching muscles begin to let go as you sink into relaxation. 

Your therapist walks in and takes her thumbs straight into your boulder of shoulder. 

This serene place suddenly becomes a torture chamber. 

All the luxuries you felt getting onto the table are replaced with this epic battle of strength between your therapist and the stress in your shoulders. 

But it's okay, pain is temporary.... this therapist will whip your muscles into shape come hail or  high water. An hour later you leave feeling that the relaxing room is now mocking you and your now bruised shoulders. But that's what everyone said you needed... a DEEP tissue massage, right? 

Now imagine that instead of thumbs your neck received a broad stroke starting at the base of your head traveling down your shoulders. The session continues with pressure you wouldn't associate with deep tissue until you drift off to what I like to call massage twilight, where you can feel touch but your mind is relaxed so far as to where it's difficult to answer questions. After the session you get up feeling a little like a wet noodle all thoughts of pain gone replaced with relaxation and stability.

Which session would you rather have?

My goal is to take the boxing gloves out of the massage room. 

We cannot fight your muscles into submission, 

we must work with your own bodies rhythm to let it relax on it's own. 

Massage therapy is team work. 

I can't make your body do anything it does want to do.

 I use subtle touch on tight muscles to make the body aware of it's congestion.

 If there is a particular tense spot it may take a few sessions to remind the body it enjoys being lose instead of a rock but we will get there with mild intensity and never pain.

Infant Massage

I'm back! After taking a break from blogging to delve deeper into learning I have an exciting announcement. 

Drum roll please.....

I will be TEACHING Infant massage to parents starting Oct. 1st. 
That's only 2 weeks and 2 days away!

I'm so excited to share everything I have learned to help parents raise our next generation! 

Following is one of the most amazing studies I've found:

A is a group of first time fathers were shown how to massage their four week-old babies, and asked to continue for the duration of the study. A control group of fathers who did not massage their babies was also monitored. 

It was found that at 12 weeks old, babies who were massaged greeted their fathers with more eye contact, smiling, vocalizing, and touch than those in the control group. They showed more orienting responses toward their fathers and less avoidance behavior. The fathers showed greater day to day involvement with their infant. 

Baby massage allows fathers and babies to enjoy skin to skin contact that mothers often experience through breastfeeding, but fathers often miss out on. By massaging their babies, fathers come to understand their child's rhythms and responses, and become more confident about handling them.

Seeing that something as simple as touch can have such a profound impact on life makes me love my career even more. 

Know your limits.

Pain.
One thing that only you know how it feels.
Since everyone has a different pain tolerance how do we know when it's something to have a therapist work on or something to go to the doctor for?

I had to deal with this question myself this morning. I woke up out of a really deep sleep to a pain so sharp in my shoulder I couldn't stay still, at 7 in the morning. So through this blinding pain I had to follow my typical steps for dealing with minor pain and discerning which specialist to go to when the pain is too much; Massage Therapist or Doctor.

Step 1: Mind over matter. I tried to suck it up put an ice pack on my whole shoulder and go back to sleep. Every time I laid down the pain gets worse so I move to...

Step 2. Let someone know, or in this case wake up the boyfriend. Sometimes someone can see you more objectively than you can at the moment and be able to tell how much pain your in from body language to help decide what to do next. Thankfully my boyfriend was willing to give his crying girlfriend a massage at 7:30 in the morning when he's a night owl. This helped the pain a little with the aid of homeopathic oil. But I was still begging him to saw my arm off so on to...

Step 3. I ask myself a series of questions:

• Have I felt this pain before? (No)
• Did I do anything yesterday or the past week that could make me sore? (3 hours of massage yesterday, not enough to make me sore)
• How long has it been since I had bodywork? (Acupuncture 2 days ago)
• How urgent is this pain on a scale of 1-10? (At this point I was pacing, so I can easily say a 9)

This morning all the answers added up to an urgent care visit. As a massage therapist I felt a little bit of a sell-out. After bringing up that feeling to my great guy he reassured me that I needed a different approach. That got me started thinking; How many of my clients have this sort of pain? I know that I have a lot of anatomical knowledge and feel like I'm more self aware of what my body feels and why than most, but how do my clients who are of a different field of specialty know where to go. So I figured I would help y'all out with this post.

Here are a few of my guidelines as to who I go to for pain using the above series of questions.

Would I would go to a Massage Therapist if I...

• Previously felt this pain?
• Yes; or No if I know where the pain came from. i.e. working-out, yard word, sleeping "funny".
• Did anything recently that could cause soreness?
• Yes.
• Have gone a while without bodywork?
• Anytime longer than 2 weeks with normal activity, or 1 week with more active than usual.
• Measure the urgency of the pain?
• Anywhere from 1-5; Light to moderate pains

Would I consult my Doctor if I...

• Previously felt this pain?
• No; or Yes if it is more intense or frequent.
• Did anything recently that could cause soreness?
• No.
• Have gone a while without bodywork?
• Less than a week with receiving massage on a regular basis.
• Measure the urgency of the pain?
• 6-10; Intense to extreme pains

Massage is a wonderful tool but some pain may be caused by something deeper and more serious. It is always important to get it checked out by a doctor that has access to x-rays or MRIs. Sharp breathtaking or tear jerking pains can entice you into a doctor's office quickly, but even dull achy pains can be caused by something that muscle work can't diagnose or help.

So here I am, after having a shot in the butt thinking about actually filling that prescription for pain killers, telling you to know your limits. There is always a reason for pain,
 and if the internet just sends you into spiral of hypochondria, it is best to just call your doctor

Under Pressure

The most common complaint that I have heard about past massages is either they hurt from too much pressure or the pressure felt "as if the therapist was scared to go deeper".

I firmly believe that even though massage is great for everyone*, not all massage therapist are good for everyone.

 Understanding what you want in a massage when searching for a massage therapist will help you avoid getting a bad massage. 

I have created a flow chart with the most common reasons people get massages:

You may notice a trend, it all includes communicating to your therapist what you want. 

Remember this massage is about you and your body.

 If you are confused as to what your therapist is doing ASK them. 

I know I personally love talking to my clients and explaining what I'm doing and how it helps them.

If you're not the talking type, that's fine too but only after you are sure you're getting the massage you signed up for. 

 My teacher said once "We are all victims of our education" and it stuck with me and has helped me better understand that there may not be a wrong or right way, just a different way.

Every massage therapist brings a unique way of massage to the table. 

*of course there are always exceptions to the rule, there are several contraindications to massage and that's why it's important to fill out the medical form completely.