I was in my zone: working out on a regular basis, teaching various group
fitness classes and I also threw in yoga classes for good measure everyday.
But as anyone in the fitness profession does, I had a few nagging aches and
pains and one that became a distraction: a tightening hip that would pop
occasionally during the day. After trying various sports medicine doctors who
could not give me any solid answers I came upon a doctor who specialized in
non-surgical solutions to sports related injuries.
His diagnosis: I was doing too much exercise and did not give my body time to
rest and recover. He recommended 1 week of rest (no exercise). I could not
believe that I had neglected a basic rule of fitness: the body needs rest
to recover from strength and cardiovascular workouts. And as relaxing as yoga
can be it is also a form of exercise.
He also recommended some exercises to focus on my core which he concluded was
connected to the issues with my hip. This came as a complete surprise to me as
I thought the current set of exercises I performed activated my core muscles and
there was no reason to target my abdominals. What a I surprise! Three sets of
10 reps and my abdominals were burning!
And as for the week of rest: I’ll be heading down to New Orleans in the middle
of a cold front in my hometown of New York City!
