Pur's Start of a New Life

Pur said:
I went through with the dancing this past Monday. My body is still sore and recovering. I haven't really moved any of those mucles... in forever. I have a bad back, shoulder, hip(s), yadda yadda... So I've been using ibuprofen lol. I'm torn if I want to go back or not. I'm sure my muscles will get stronger over time... I just don't know. I took pretty well to the moves and following her. Just takes practice as she says, but atm I'm trying to recover a bit@@; It was 45-60 minutes with 2-3 3 minute breaks for water. Boyfriend said he would pay for the classes if I continue to go. After 5 classes, he'll buy me a hip scarf. ($30-50 for one)

Any advice from the 'when I first started working out' experiances?
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The best advice I can give you is don't quit. There are going to be days when you want to, when you're sore as hell and you are going to question pushing through. But you have to be patient with your body. You haven't moved like that in forever, and it is going to take some time for your muscles to adjust to the new movements. It will get better, I promise you. After the first week or so you won't ache so much, or at least you'll only ache when you focus on a new movement or muscle group. But that aching is a good thing. It means that your body is working, and it means that it's changing for the better.

When I first started my TaeBo up again, I thought I was going to die the first week... my shoulders and arms felt like they were going to drop off. lol Aromatherapy bubble baths and muscle cream saved me. And after little bit of time, I didn't ache anymore. I feel my muscles work now, and I feel happily tired after a workout (muscle tired, but body energized if that makes sense), but I don't feel that soreness anymore.

Don't quit! You're doing something good for you that short term you can't see the benefits of, but give it a month and you will not only see a difference, but it will make you feel better too. I've been there, trust me. :) And if it ends up it's not for you, that bellydancing doesn't do it for you, then at least you can say you gave it a fair shake and find something new.

Edit: Stine said it... If you're prone to leg cramps, a bananna a day will do wonders for preventing them.
 
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The soreness will pass, as long as you stick with it. You've got "the DOMS" aka. delayed onset muscle soreness. I had it super-bad the first week I started weightlifting, I'd be shuffling around the house like a zombie, moaning and grimacing until the ibuprofen kicked in. (I should add at this time that you can take up to 2400 mg of ibuprofen per day, so basically one 200mg pill every 2 hours. Also ibuprofen and acetominaphen (Tylenol) can be taken together safely, as the tylenol is processed by the liver and the ibuprofen is processed by the kidneys). The good news is that by sticking with it and working through the pain the first 2 weeks, I stopped having that pain altogether, and my energy levels shot way up.

If you quit, or even ease up for too long a period, then the muscles get unaccustomed to that activity, and you'll get sore again when you restart. I took a 3 week vacation from lifting because of changes in my sleep schedule, starting back up again this past Monday. I was freaking dying all day Tuesday. Today I'm still a little sore, but I still worked out anyway, because I've been through this before and know I have to keep going to get any better.

Just think of the pain as a test of your resolve. If you quit now, the pain will stop, but you'll miss out on the reason we all get addicted to exercise in the first place. Just stick it out two weeks, and you'll be amazed at how much better you feel, and it will make the soreness totally worth it.
 
It will pass. Keep going and you'll see that it will get easier and easier over the next couple weeks. I highly suggest stretching for at least 15 minutes before you start this class, as well as afterwards. Yoga could be mixed in as well to provide some additional stretching and it's also very good for balance and stabilizing muscles. Don't even think of doing less or easing up. If anything just add something else that will help out and be the yin to the yang of the dance class. You will get through it. Don't overdo it in the dance class. Take a break or a breather if need be, but keep going to the classes. The worst thing you can do is stop or tell yourself you can't do it. It's a struggle, but again, no pain - no gain. It's healthy to be sore. Being in actual pain is a bad thing, but this should just be soreness. Perhaps a lot of soreness, but that's ok. Just keep going. You can do it!!
 
Stiffness and soreness is natural, when you have the delayed-onset stuff that I mentioned it's not due to any injury. If you were actually injured, you would have hurt right then and there, not the next day. :)

Stretching, like Sneaky said, is essential. Stretching before your workout helps to increase bloodflow and warm up the muscles, reducing your risk of injury from overexertion. Stretching afterwards helps to lower lactic acid levels in the musculature, reducing after-workout cramps. Do a good stretch before and after, it really does help.
 
Pur said:
I went through with the dancing this past Monday. My body is still sore and recovering. I haven't really moved any of those mucles... in forever. I have a bad back, shoulder, hip(s), yadda yadda... So I've been using ibuprofen lol. I'm torn if I want to go back or not. I'm sure my muscles will get stronger over time... I just don't know. I took pretty well to the moves and following her. Just takes practice as she says, but atm I'm trying to recover a bit@@; It was 45-60 minutes with 2-3 3 minute breaks for water. Boyfriend said he would pay for the classes if I continue to go. After 5 classes, he'll buy me a hip scarf. ($30-50 for one)

Any advice from the 'when I first started working out' experiances?
Click to expand...

I think you should keep going. Not only is belly dancing sexy and fun, but their costumes are sweet. I'm so gonna get one, even though I can't dance lol. My friends said she'll teach me.

I know she said that the belly dancing really helped her with her back. She's a big girl, and she has big boobies, so she had back problems. She said since she's been belly dancing, she no longer has back pains. She's been doing it for 4 or so years now!

I used to ride horses 2-3 times a week when I was younger, but as I got older, I ran out of time. Now whenever I get a chance to ride, my thigh muscles are sooo sore. What I do is have a nice hot bath and I feel much better. You should see if a good soak helps out!
 
Good for you getting back into it. Now keep it up! You know now that any of your excuses were just that...Excuses. If this is something you want to do, it has to be a lifestyle. Embrace it and make sure it's part of your life. We all miss here and there, but it's up to you to make sure you stick with it.

One saying I read that I like goes like this, "...That's why it's called a holiday, not a day off."


Keep it up, Pur! Your hard work will pay off for you, I promise. :)
 
It's ok if you fall off as long as you get back on it and ride it hard. ;)

I hear you about the tat. Once I have the delicious tummy I want... the kind that makes someone wanna eat things off of it XD... I've been thinking of getting a either a tattoo around my belly button or a piercing. It's kind of a sweet little goal for myself, to have a body sexy enough where I would feel a bit of pride in a little celebratory ornamentation.

Don't give up or be discouraged. We all have moments like that, but you just recommit to yourself because you're worth it.
 
I think my PM came after this but I'll just reiterate again that you will find no negative judgment here.

  • We are genuinely supportive here.
  • You can be as open and as honest as you like; it is anonymous here!
Take it one step at a time. Eventually it will be lockstep and you'll find you go out of your way to try and eat better -- to actively do something whereas before you would be discouraged.

I have said before that I like to ride my bike. When you are looking for things to do which you enjoy sometime you really do have to go at it with a different mindset. I did just that with biking as well as hiking trails. Here soon, I may take the hybrid of those and try mountain biking!

Anyways, I used to hate hiking -- I never could understand what the hell the point was unless at the very end I was rewarded with a beautiful waterfall or some such phenomena. Yes, that is a part of hiking, but more than that is the getting to the waterfall. Nature is amazing; smile, breathe, and take it all in -- hiking is to relax and destress and that is the beautiful part.

Finally, if I could absolutely recommend just one thing, it is to find a friend to do some of this with. I guarantee that you will do more, more often, for longer periods of time and enjoy yourself much more. You won't be in the house to think about food as often as a person bored with nothing to do would. Honestly, there isn't much to lose, because sadly even if you were to fail your goal (which I won't let you *evil Walter laugh*), you can look back on some good times with friends.

Nike is right, just do it.
GL, <3
 
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