The Uncontrollable Setbacks of your Fitness Journey
I recently had a client while on antibiotics and puffers with a lung infection write me to say: “I feel that every minute I am not there (the gym), I am falling behind.”
Picture this, for the past 6 weeks; 6 months or perhaps even 6 years, you have been working hard in the gym; you’re not missing more than a few days of training, and now you are sick or hurt! Frustrating… YES!!!
This is a part of life and experiences that shape us, so let's talk about the only thing you can do in this moment, DAMAGE CONTROL. Before we get into the three things you should focus on, I want to emphasize one thing, please, DO NOT PANIC, taking a week off from the gym is not going to affect the way you look 5 years from now, nor is it going to affect your performance playing beer league hockey 4 weeks from now! The only thing it is going to do is challenge your willpower and mental strength. If you take some time to think of the journey we are all on, the journey of life, being hyper focused on willpower and mental strength for a week is probably a good thing, something that we all could practice and get better at and as a result, it will help us all on our journeys. Life is not a sprint it is an ultra marathon.
Now, what can you do when you are sick or injured? If you crush these three things, I assure you, you have nothing to worry about!
Sleep- Although there are a few people who can get by on less than 7-8 hours of sleep, the vast majority of us cannot and if you try to force this, it can have long-term health consequences. Believe me, as I am someone who spent years trying to sleep 6 hours a night because I truly thought that is what would make me successful; it definitely did not help. As a result, the lack of sleep increased how often I was sick and injured! If you are sick or you are injured and it is keeping you away from the gym and potentially even work, then I am sure you can find an extra hour or two to dedicate to sleep. Turn off Netflix and do something that will help you successfully heal your body, go to sleep!
Water- Typically in a healthy individual 50-60% of their body is made up of water. Getting a sufficient amount of water in when you are healthy can prevent you from getting sick and can also help prevent injuries in the first place. If it is too late and you are already sick or injured then guess what… it is also going to help you feel better and heal those injuries, so drink your water!
Nutrition- Whether your goal is to lose weight or build muscle, this is the hardest thing to do when you are sick or injured or for that matter just in general. This is where willpower, planning and mental strength need to prevail. Let’s take a look at the two different scenarios.
Example 1: You have been working hard with a goal of putting on 10lbs of muscle. Yes, a week away from the gym may affect your gains to some degree but you do not need to worsen this by inadequately fueling your body. You do not build muscle in the one hour a day you are in the gym, you build it during those eight hours a night that you are sleeping, and you do this by fuelling it with the proper amount of protein, carbs and fats. If you are consuming 3500 calories a day and then go a full week where you are only eating 1500-2000 calories, then you might lose 3-4lbs that week which can include loss of muscle and slow down your progress towards your goals. Dig deep, and do your best to stick to your nutrition plan!
Example 2: You are trying to lose weight. You have been eating better than ever! It can be a slippery slope. Old habits run deep and right now, you just want to feel better, and ice cream will make you feel better! I am all for a good bowl of ice cream but do not wander from your plan too far. Try to stick to nutrient rich foods. These foods will give your body what it needs to recover faster and get back to the gym. In this moment, you are not going to be spending that time in the gym anyway, so if you can, spend it in the kitchen! Hell, you might even be able to get some meals prepared for next week and freeze them!
One last thing to mention is education; there is always time to learn! If you hurt yourself, there may be an opportunity to grow and improve mentally. Depending on the circumstance of the injury, it may have been a result of poor movement or some sort of muscle imbalance that is causing your body to compensate adding stress or overuse to a specific area of your body. If it is a reoccurring injury, it is time to get help and then put the time into fixing the problem for good. Doing so, may take months of doing the “boring work” but like I said earlier, for 99.9% of us this is not a sprint, it is an ultra marathon. If you came down with a bad cold or the flu, you may not have the luxury of learning how to avoid it but catching it sooner than later might help with how fast you beat it. Being self aware of the way you feel and listening to it might increase the speed that you are able to get off the couch and back on your feet. So be mindful of your body and the way you feel and get back to your journey as soon as you can. Building a temple does not happen in a day, a week or even a few months. It takes years, so build diligently, strategically and most importantly enjoy the journey.