Day 3: exercise question to ponder

I worked out 3 days ago...it was a 30 minute overall strengthening home video. While I was doing the exercise I was feeling pretty good. It hurt to put weight only on my right leg or to do a lunge with my right leg forward so I just tried to back off the painful movements and be grateful for the exercise that I was able to do. Throughout the exercise there was this background apprehension or fear in my head..."what if the pain flares up after this?". It's the same question everytime I work out. Then almost immediately after completing my workout I had severe throbbing, aching muscle spasms in my right quad, groin and buttock...it felt like it was trying to dislocate my hip again. So I popped some muscle relaxants, rested in bed and hoped for the best. I've been resting for the past 2 days and it's gradually getting better but it's still there. I'm afraid to work out for the next 5 days now because I need to be able to get through my work week to pay the bills. And my job involves moving and lifting sick and heavy patients in the hospital for 8 hours a day. I feel like it's a viscous cycle because I feel like I need to work out to get stronger so that I'll be less prone to injuring myself but then when I work out my pain and muscle spasms flare up so then I have to rest for days and become even weaker. I hope working through this program can help me to get out of this cycle.

 

Hi, Akasia. Dr. Sarno and other TMS believers say that pain can come on if we fear we're going to hurt more when we do anything physical.
It isn't easy, but try not to worry about that before or during exercise or anything physical. He assures us that doing regular physical activities
will not make you hurt more. It's best to condition your mind that you won't hurt or make things worse if you are active. And yes,
the SEP program will help you to get rid of the fear.

 

Hi Akasia, I started exercising again using home videos after a nearly 2 year break at about the same time I started the SEP. Like you at the start I was fearful so I would just fast forward over anything that looked to strenuous or just march in place. The other thing I would do was fill my mind with distracting thoughts to take my focus away from the fear which could vary from anything from counting, describing the exercise I was doing in my head, affirmations, looking out into my garden etc etc, even smiling at the video! If I could distract myself enough this way I found I just enjoyed the exercise for what it was. The first time I did some yoga I had a flare up afterwards pain in the hip so I left it for a while, carried on journaling and did other exercise like walking. I gradually worked my way up to being able to do a whole beginners yoga DVD and a kick boxing one but it took time. It sounds that maybe you are putting pressure on yourself on the need to workout which may cause your symptoms to flare because it is important to you. I do this too but I'm learning to try & back off when I catch myself putting pressure on - the perfectionist in me in still alive & kicking.... Keep going - you'll get there.

 

Oh and the other I do sometimes is shout out loud at the TMS - things like "I know what you're doing & you're not going to get the better of me!" type of thing. Sound a bit bonkers but it seems to work.

 

Dr. Sarno says yell at your subconscious to stop the pain, or talk gently to it.
Whichever works, stick with it.

 

Thank you so much Walt and Labrador! Your words of encouragement and advice are exactly what I needed to hear. I feel a lot better knowing that I'm not alone! I'll try to use some of these strategies the next time I work out and I'll keep you posted on my progress. I definitely put A LOT of pressure on myself on the importance or need for me to be working out. I did not even think that the pressure itself is what could be causing these flare-ups, plus stressing or worrying about the possibility of flaring up afterwards....it's a double whammy! I will try to be more gentle on myself. Thanks again!