Working out doesn’t cause you pain. You do.
This is going to be a very direct article intentionally written so because injuries are rarely discussed in this light. It’s the result of numerous injuries I’ve caused myself over the years and is merely a reflection of what I’ve learned. Some of you may not agree, and that is ok. In fact, I would like to hear from those who feel differently as it will help me find more nuances and distinctions I have not yet thought of. I don’t believe I am right, I have just have certain assumptions that lead me to perceive the body the way that I do. If you are an open minded person, even if you disagree, I hope to provide a perspective you can contemplate in comparison to your own and I hope to take the same from your perspective, should it differ from mine. With that said, I’ll begin.
There are no inherently bad workouts. Sure, there are workouts and exercises that may not be optimal or place appropriate or safe stresses on your body but most of the popular methodologies you could choose to use today to get in shape aren’t ill intended or malicious. CrossFit doesn’t cause pain or injury. Yoga doesn’t cause pain or injury. Pilates doesn’t cause pain or injury. Running doesn’t cause pain or injury. Even walking doesn’t cause pain or injury. The state of your body going into these activities and the way you use your body in these activities is the cause of your pain. Really think about what I’ve just said. It might just change the way that you relate to movement and exercise. Really.
Put even simpler, you’re causing your pain.
Recently while watching The Big Short I saw a quote that I think applies adequately here. “Truth is like poetry. And people fucking hate poetry”. The truth is, you’re the source of all the pain and discomfort you have ever and will ever experience. Now, you might be saying “Well what about that time when my friend accidentally slammed the door on my hand?!” “Or that time when I slipped down the stairs?!” “Or the car accident I was in 6 years ago?!” Be careful to make excuses for things that happen to you. It is a slippery slope. Sure, in those instances you may not have literally caused the pain but whose body did it happen to? Who chose what they chose and eventually ended up in the situation where whatever happened happened? There is great power from looking at everything that happens to you as being your fault. But that is the subject of another article and the 14th step in the 67 step program popularized by Tai Lopez, not this one…. Of course you can come up with extreme cases where your responsibility is not as clear, but as I said, be careful. You’ll be fighting hard to give up responsibility for your body.
Blaming an activity for sensations in your body without first examining how you chose to participate in that activity is a distraction from the truth. Blaming and overlooking any limitations and compensations you have in your body prior to physical activity is a distraction from the truth. Blaming an activity for the lack of awareness you have of the current state of your body and how it might be affected by complex movement is a distraction. It only serves to distract from the courageous work it will take to learn about your body and how to solve the cause of the problem that you are experiencing. Now, I don’t mean this to sound harsh or criticizing. I only aim to bring clarity, honesty and truth to a topic that we usually never talk about this way. The person who looks for responsibility in everything that happens to their body will learn more than the person who seeks to dismiss and blame. It’s that simple.
Which person do you want to be?
People who move impeccably and have great levels of mobility and fluidity are, in the words of Kelly Starrett, almost inoculated against pain and injury. They can push harder, more often, and with greater intensity. Obviously up to a point, but that point is much farther than many experience or ever arrive at. You can push harder and longer because your body is optimized for what you’re doing. It’s an unfortunate truth that, because adults don’t have to continuously relearn all human movement prior any exercise or activity every time they try something new, they frequently don’t have bodies that are optimized for all the stresses that they subject themselves to in the name of health, fitness and feeling better. That’s why in this modern age of science and understanding, we continue to see pain and injuries and don’t take them seriously.
In fact, many times we consider pain and discomfort as just a normal part of the journey.
It’s become accepted that sometimes our knees hurt while running. Sometime our shoulders or low backs hurt during yoga. Sometimes our hips hurt while weight lifting. These or any number of other “common” and “normal” pains we buy into and accept have become part of our perception of the journey towards. I know and have met many people who actively joke about not having good flexibility or range of motion or excessive tightness in their body. That would be like joking about how bad your car’s brakes are, or how it always pulls to the left when you drive, or how it makes this weird squeaking noise every time you turn. When your vehicle isn’t functioning properly on any level the lifecycle of it is dramatically shortened. And I don’t think it’s something worth joking about. Do you?
With enough awareness of your body, certain sensations or injuries really shouldn’t be a surprise. If you find yourself surprised, annoyed, or confused by the different sensations you feel in your body before, during or after exercise, it might be a sign that you’re missing some key awarenesses or telltale signs that something isn’t functioning optimally. An aggressive pursuit of personalized awareness of your body can, and often times will be, the component that takes your performance, movements and health to the next level. No matter where you’re at now.
I hope to live in a world where we all understand our participation in taking responsibility for our health and bodies. However, this responsibility also includes how we move. There’s nothing preventing me from giving up my responsibility for my body and how it moves by blaming an activity that I’ve chosen to take on without due diligence. This perspective however won’t lend itself to making meaningful change in your body, whatever that may mean for you. If it is of value, perhaps you might begin to consider how what you’re doing right now will affect your body in 5, 10, 20, or 50 years from now.
There are always ways to optimize your body. Will you keep looking for them?
Thank you for taking the time to participate in my thoughts.
If this resonated with you, please share with those who might find value here or comment and share your thoughts with me!
