Is it possible that all the working out I’ve been doing could be bringing up deep-seated feelings from long ago? I’ve been going to the gym five days a week and working out lifting weights and using Nautilus machines for 1 1/2 to 2 hours each day. And lately I’ve been feeling more raw emotionally than usual. Today Luis was giving me some criticism on how I was doing one of the exercises – I was using too much weight, he said, and I was risking hurting myself – and I just felt myself slipping into feeling frustrated and wanting to cry. I didn’t, I held myself together, but it took a bit to exorcise that feeling. (No pun intended, btw.)
I’ve never worked out this frequently before. So I ask those of you who have – could I be working out some ancient issues that have been stored in my muscles and fat for years?
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4 comments:
Hey Sweetie - All of my trainers and reading have said that you shouldn't do weights every day but should give your muscles a day in between. You might be hurting yourself without knowing it. Much better to do weights one day and aerobic stuff the next. Aerobic stuff can also be done everyday. Good for you to working out! Much love, Mom
Darcy w/ her 2 cents: I spoke with an instructer of the Alexander technique (A theater thing with a very long description, but included stretch and massage) after bursting into tears for no reason when I did a certain stretch during one of our sessions. She explained that most people are aware of the stress we carry in our bodies (weird knots in our back, etc.), but few people realize we store other emotions as well. In theater, you figure out how to unlock them to your advantage. In real life, it's a little less useful. Of course, you may also have a childhood trauma with the eliptical machine... Or, just the increase in adrenaline could be making you hyper sensitive (You've heard of the mood swings of folks who take steriods). Personally, I prefer problem solving exercise like rock climbing. You can't think of much else when you're trying to figure out just what the hell you're doing clinging to the side of the wall acting like spiderman!
Funny, I was just at a presentation by Dr. John Ratey (Harvard, yo, here's some info: http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2001/02/20010202_a_main.asp)
on exercise and the brain! I don't know that you are excavating long buried emotions, but between the rigorous exercise and the changes in diet and environment, you are probably radically altering your hormones. How's your cycle doing? My guess is that's what's making you a bit fragile. You might want to ease back a bit on the exercise--that's a lot of physical change. Perhaps 45 minutes to an hour of moderate exercise daily for a month or two as you adapt to the new environment and then you can ratchet it up? In any case, make sure you are consistent--that will help you stabilize the endocrine system, and avoid excessive caffeine, fat, simple carbs and alcohol (natch). And don't forget to stretch and breath. Some yoga will help you center yourself. (Really!)
You know it, babe! Bodies have memory and as you work through things physically the mind remembers. It's such a primal thing, too. Just sends you right back to wherever without your conscious mind ever getting engaged. That's why it's so intense. There's not much rationality about it. It works the other way too. You work on things emotionally and you can feel it in your body. the good thing is you *can* work through it. It doesn't have to stay stuck. In fact it's good if it doesn't. As my therapist says, they're just feelings, it doesn't mean that they're the be-all and end-all finite definition of reality. They're how you feel and, sure, that's real, but if you can step back from your feelings and look at the situation objectively it often isn't as horrible/terrifying/sad as it feels. Does that make sense? So, hey babe, congrats! You're doing some hard work.
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