Say Yes to Strength

After a string of injuries, health setbacks and surgery, I found myself struggling to feel good, normal, and comfortable in my own skin. And I was not happy about this shift!! Although I am typically a very positive and optimistic person, I felt annoyed, disappointed and resentful that what had once been vibrant health was suddenly gone. I overlooked what is now so blindingly obvious to me. I share my story so that you can learn from my experience. Here’s what happened:

After being a champion sleeper my entire life, sleep eluded me.

I lost my typical high energy levels and vitality, and found myself sort of dragging myself along throughout the day. I was exhausted all the time.

My brain felt like it was sitting in a bowl of oatmeal, nothing was working well; I had lack of clarity, brain fog and little inspiration.

I put on body fat and no matter how carefully I monitored my food choices (clean, whole real foods, no alcohol, limited caffeine, keeping my calorie intake low) the scale didn’t budge.

I wanted to be in charge! I had my metabolic rate tested and the clinician was shocked by the very low number. The lab calculated that I only need 1,000 calories a day for my energy expenditures. That is very, very low. How could that be??

I went and had extensive blood work done and it came back with a glowing health profile. How could that be??

My blood pressure was climbing higher and higher, something that had not been a problem for me previously. How could that be??

As someone who has studied health, nutrition and fitness for decades, I couldn’t understand why all the things that should have “worked” to bring me back to optimal health were not working. I felt gipped.

And then one day I chose to stop pushing, forcing, expecting, and berating my body. Instead, I simply listened to my body and trusted that it knew what was best for me. I allowed, accepted and applied patience. I had faith that my health would return. I moved each day based on the feedback my body was sending- not too much, not too little, and no judgment. I let go of the panicky feeling that I was broken.

After a 6 month sabbatical from resistance training, I slowly returned to the gym and very carefully began building strength. Little by little I was able to see and feel more strength developing in my body. Muscles that I had once known were returning. Having previously been an endurance athlete it makes sense that I lost a great deal of muscle mass. But I failed to make the connection between my skeletal muscle and my overall health. And then as if by magic, I once again found my body humming along. I slept well, enjoyed boundless energy, my body composition improved and my brain had clarity and focus. I awoke feeling vibrant and eager for the day ahead. It suddenly became clear to me; losing so much muscle and strength had impacted all areas of my life and health without me realizing it.

Don’t underestimate the value and power of strength!!! You do not need a fancy gym membership to build muscle! You can use resistance bands, your body weight and follow along on countless You Tube videos for inspiration. Here’s to being and staying strong!