I’ve been nursing a nagging neck pain for the past two months, maybe more. I brushed it off as a stiff neck since I’ve had these before. I went to have an awesome massage. Which helped me feel a lot better but the pain never really went away. I tried my chiropractor for adjustment with minimal relief. The pain started interfering with daily activities like lifting my arm and turning my neck. I have been so dedicated to my daily bootcamp workouts and I was unwilling to let those go, so I was pushing through the pain and continuing to work out. After all, I have come so far with my health and fitness goals that I couldn’t imagine stopping or even modifying that regimen.
On Tuesday, I woke up in so much pain that I decided to swallow my pride and head to the doctor. I felt a bit silly going in there with a two month old problem but I am so glad I did, because what I found out was shocking. My pain wasn’t something I was imagining. My spine curvature was grossly abnormal due to a muscle tear and constant spasm. Ironically, I breathed a sigh of relief because I finally had a source for the pain that was becoming such an inconvenience. My doctor gave me a ton of advice on how to remedy my neck pain. Everything from meds to ice to immobilization. And lastly he said, “No Bootcamp for at least two weeks.” My heart sank. All I could think of was how all my fitness progress would be undone if I’m unable to exercise at the gym. I already felt defeated. I felt sorry for myself.
As hard as it would be to be away from Bootcamp for two weeks, I had to recenter and realize that this was the best thing for me. I let go of the negative feelings I had towards my injury. Instead of asking “Why did this happen to me?”, I’m asking “What can I do to make the best of this situation?”. Of course, before I had my big A-HA moment, I did indulge in some junk food. Why the hell does that happen? Oh, because I’m human and I have lapses in my good judgement from time to time. I know that good, clean eating will be more important than ever while I’m on hiatus from the gym. I also accept that my weight is just a number and if I fluctuate in weight, it’s quite alright. I intend to keep my lower body as active as possible so that I can make a smoother transition back to the gym when I’m ready.
This is all just a bump in my road to fitness journey and a reminder that no matter what kind of obstacles are placed in front of you, there’s always a way to pass through. I’ll see you on the other side!!!!
Live-Love-La-Pasion 