Imagine that you’re having a regular day just doing regular things. Maybe you’re at the grocery store reaching for something on a shelf. Perhaps you’re trying to slip a bag over your shoulder. Whatever you’re doing, it’s not that big of a deal. But all of a sudden a stabbing pain hits your shoulder. Nothing is worse than that. This brief article will highlight four tips for dealing with shoulder pain.
woman get accident between workout in gym shoulder pain and hurt with wrong posture exercise
I’ve been there before. In fact, I’m in the recovery phase right now. I don’t know exactly what I did to my shoulder. It could have something to do with my autoimmune disease. I dealt with my pain for a couple of months, but I don’t want you to have to do that. I’ve outlined four tips for dealing with shoulder pain that will help you out tremendously.
Tip #1: Take it Easy
The second you feel pain or even a bit of discomfort, it’s time to take a little break. Stop doing the things you normally do, especially if they cause any pain.
Having to readjust your exercise routine really stinks, but taking a short break to get things under control is much better than doing something that causes permanent damage.
Tip #2: Get Professional Help
We live in a time when a ton of people self-diagnose. We ask our friends what they think could be the problem. The internet is also how we try to help ourselves out. I know for a fact that there are tons of shoulder exercise video on YouTube and Facebook. I probably tried most of them. But since I didn’t exactly know what my problem was, those exercises made everything worse.
Whether you go to a medical doctor, a chiropractor, a physical therapist or a nurse practitioner, it is important to find a medical professional who can help you figure out what’s going on. Then they can give you the exercises that will help your condition.
Seeing a medical professional is one of the four tips for dealing with shoulder pain the easy way.
Tip #3: Do Your Exercises
Have you ever gotten an antibiotic prescription from your doctor? If so, do you remember what they told about the medication? They probably said something thing like, “You’re going to start feeling better within a day or two of starting this medication, but don’t stop taking it! You need to take all the medicine until it’s gone in order for it to be effective and do it’s job.”
The same can be said about doing your recovery or physical therapy exercises. You might feel a lot better after a week or two, but DON’T STOP. Keep doing those exercises and stretches. Hold off on those activities that cause pain and discomfort. Give it time and be consistent.
Tip #4: Consider Lifting Weights
This one will come as a shock to those who know me because I am such a strong supporter of and advocate for bodyweight training. I will always believe that you don’t NEED weights to get fit or get a good workout.
However, as I’ve faithfully done my shoulder exercises over the past few weeks, I’ve felt that I need something more. Using 5-pound dumbbells, I’ve followed the doctor’s advice and added a few sets of basic shoulder exercises, including the one pictured below. It’s all part of the process.
Woman doing shoulder exercises with weights.
Your Next Steps
Check in with your medical professional from time to time to see how things are progressing with your shoulder.
Once you’re feeling back to normal. Be sure to ease into those old activities. Don’t go overboard, though.
I’m finally getting back to the pool this week. I haven’t been able to swim since late August. Don’t worry…I’ll take my own advice and pace myself.
Don’t forget to weigh yourself!
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: it’s just a number. Our weight fluctuates, so if it goes up, down or nowhere, we’re still AWESOME!
Living a healthy lifestyle isn’t easy. It takes a great deal of dedication and hard work. When you work hard, you want some type of reward for your labor, right? I’m pretty sure that’s why Cheat Days and Treat Days were created. But they’re not the same. Today we’ll be talking about Get Fit with Charity’s take on Cheat Days vs. Treat Days and discuss which is better,
Faceless black bearded man covered with tasty appetizing marshmallow drinks cocoktail has cheat day consumes much calories sweet food drowned in delicious snack. Unhealthy nutrition concept.
Cheat Days
Cheat Day for an adult is the equivalent to field day for the average elementary student. Most of us have fond memories of field day. It was a magical day that typically happened in late spring right before the end of the school year. You got to wear a summer outfit and although you were at school all day, it felt like extended recess, a field trip and summer vacation rolled into one.
That’s how Cheat Day feels. After sticking to a really hard exercise program, you get to cheat by not doing anything at all. Maybe you’ve been avoiding carbs for like…ever, so you indulge in all the bread and pasta you can eat. Perhaps you took last week’s cue and cut back on sugar but now you’re ready for some sugary goodness.
A cheat day allows you to eat whatever you want (or do whatever you want) without feeling guilty. Obviously your body might not like it, but you worked hard so you deserve it, right? If I’m being honest, I have say that I disagree with the concept of cheat days.
By definition, to cheat is to act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage. If we’re trying to get fit and live healthy lifestyles, why would we cheat ourselves and potentially derail our progress? What kind of advantage would we gain from that? The way I see when it comes to Cheat Days, we’re only cheating ourselves.
Treat Days
Treat Day is enjoying your favorite dessert after eating all your vegetables at dinner. When I was a kid, I was an extremely picky eater. Most nights I spent hours at the dinner table by myself long after the meal was over because I refused to eat what was on my plate. One time my mother had a genius idea! She let me help her assembly these amazing Jell-O parfaits for dessert and told me that if I eat my dinner, I could have one of them. In fact, I got to make my own dessert!
That’s what Treat Day is. It’s a special reward, something you’ve worked really hard for. Generally speaking most treats are sweet, like maybe a cupcake or a snow cone. Although I’m really not in favor of rewarding myself with food, I do appreciate the concept of treating myself.
Woman customer on a ladder reaching for a novel at the bookshelves of the book shop
Cheat Day vs Treat Day: Which Is Better?
You probably know which one I think is better. I’m 100% Team Treat Day because I really don’t want to cut corners or be dishonest with myself. I’ve been unkind to my body for far too long, so I would rather treat myself. I want to be fully transparent and say that, there are times, like last week, when I treat myself to an ice cream bar, but I don’t make it a habit.
I know there are some Team Cheat Day folks out there who are thinking, “She is getting way too deep with this. There is nothing wrong with indulging every once in a while.” I am definitely not the authority on this. I’m simply sharing my opinions. I just don’t agree with Cheat Days…for me.
Don’t get mad at me, but I can’t answer my own question? Why not? I can only speak for myself and decide which one is better for me. You’ll have to do the same.
Whether you choose to celebrate with Cheat Days or Treat Days here are a few options that will help you stay on track and avoid derailing your progress.
Cheat Day Options
Treat Day Options
Opt for a Cheat Meal
Choose a fun activity
Go with an indulgent side
Spend extra time on your favorite hobby
Walk for 10 minutes instead of completely skipping the workout
Have spa day
Your Next Steps
Decide which route you wish to take: Cheat Day vs Treat Day.
Then own it…just don’t go overboard.
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: it’s just a number. Our weight fluctuates, so if it goes up, down or nowhere, we’re still AWESOME!
About a month ago, I learned that July 23rd is World Sjögren’s (pronouced SHOW-grins) Day. When I realized that it falls on a Wednesday, it occurred to me that it’s the perfect way to relaunch my Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in!
If you’re new here the phrase “Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in” is a double entendre…only without the risqué element. Wednesday is the day of the week where I weigh in, as in give my opinion, on some topic related to health and fitness. It’s also the day that I encourage people to step on the scale to weigh themselves. (Honestly, I think you should weigh yourself every day, but that’s a story for another time.)
It may seem random for me mention that today is World Sjögren’s Day when I haven’t weighed in on any other type of medical condition. But this day focused on awareness of and education about Sjögren’s Disease, an autoimmune disease that many people haven’t heard of.
I figured the best person to talk about World Sjögren’s Day is someone who has Sjögren’s Disease…that would be me.
July 23. Hand writing text World Sjogren’s Day on calendar date. Save the date. Important date. Holiday. Day of the year concept.
Learning of My Sjögren’s Diagnosis
I learned of my diagnosis in 2023, but I was already familiar with a host of other autoimmune diseases and conditions. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had what I referred to as popsicle fingers and toes. When I got really cold, I lost circulation in my fingers and toes. The insides of my hands would go from a healthy looking color to white and then purple, and I couldn’t feel them. They were frozen, for lack of a better word. Thawing them out was a really painful process. I thought that happened to everyone, but it was just worse for me since I was really cold-natured.
One day a co-worker noticed my hands and said, “Oh! You have Raynaud’s!” I had no idea what she was talking about, but after doing a little research and getting tested, I learned that I did have Raynaud’s Syndrome, which is an autoimmune condition. When I get cold or have contact with cold objects, my circulatory system goes crazy and tells my brain to stop sending blood to my fingers and toes resulting in those popsicle fingers.
Upon receiving that diagnosis in 2005, my rheumatologist conducted further testing to see if Raynaud’s was a primary or secondary condition. He said that it’s rare that a person simply has one autoimmune condition. I disclosed that I had scalp psoriasis, but he still conducted further testing, and I tested positive for Lupus. Fast forward ten years, I was never diagnosed with full blown Lupus, but my ANA (antinuclear antibody) numbers were extremely high. Despite that super high number, my doctor at the time wasn’t concerned. He said that was just part of who I am.
I relocated to a different state in 2019 and let my new doctor know what the first doctor said about that high number. He accepted it without hesitation. Some time in late 2021, one of my sisters let me know that she has Alopecia, and asked if I’d been diagnosed. I’d always had hair growth issues, but had never been tested. I went to a dermatologist who confirmed that I have Alopecia Areata, but she wanted to know why. She really didn’t like that high ANA result, so she kept testing and discovered that I have Sjogren’s Disease. Believe it or not, I was relieved, because it answered so many questions for me.
What is Sjögren’s Disease?
According to The Sjögren’s Foundation, “Sjögren’s is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects the entire body. Along with symptoms of extensive dryness, other serious complications include profound fatigue, chronic pain, major organ involvement, neuropathies and lymphomas.”
As you may know, autoimmune diseases like Sjögren’s causes the body to attack itself. Though The Sjögren’s Foundation does provide a pretty comprehensive list of symptoms, they preface that section of their website by saying that each person with Sjögren’s experiences the disease differently. Some of the most common experiences and symptoms are featured in the image below. You’ll notice that one of the main symptoms is dryness of the eyes, nose, throat, mouth and skin.
As my doctor from over a decade ago indicated, it’s pretty rare for someone to only have Sjögren’s Disease. In fact The Sjögren’s Foundation has a list of the most common autoimmune diseases that accompany Sjögren’s. That list includes but is not limited to Lupus, Scleroderma, Raynaud’s, Sinusitis and Hypertension.
Sjogrens syndrome vector illustration. Dry body autoimmune disease. Labeled medical explanation with moisture producing glands. Symptoms, diagnosis and consequences.
Sjögren’s Disease and Me
As I mentioned earlier, when I learned of my Sjögren’s diagnosis a few years ago, I was relieved. That may seem strange to some people, especially after they learn what it is. However, it helped me understand what I was going through.
Prior to my diagnosis, I was beginning to feel like my body was falling apart. I had little very little energy, and I was exhausted all the time, but I couldn’t sleep very well. I had sinusitis so much that when I went to the doctor, I told them what was wrong and let them know what. My joints were hurting. I couldn’t run like a used. I’ve actually fallen a few times while teaching fitness classes. I would have nosebleeds at the most random times. There was pain, weakness and tingly sensations on left side of my body. I thought I was going crazy. But I wasn’t. I just had an autoimmune disease.
I also realized that my digestive issues, high blood pressure, Raynaud’s and nearly all of the other “random” things I had aren’t random. They are all tied to Sjögren’s Disease.
Autoimmune disorders diseases in human body. Symptoms of illness when the immune system attacks joints, blood, skin or internal organs. Medical poster with male silhouette flat vector illustration.
Living With an Invisible Disability
As someone who is living with an invisible disability, I’m learning to take care of myself and I’m also learning to advocate for myself.
I know that I don’t look like a person with a cluster of autoimmune diseases. In fact, my current doctor frequently says that my physical appearance doesn’t match my bloodwork. That’s how autoimmune diseases work. Many of us with Sjögren’s Disease suffer in silence because people don’t understand what we’re going through and we don’t look sick.
I want to be clear in stating that my symptoms haven’t changed, in fact, they’re a bit worse. I still have left side weakness. I’m exhausted most of the time. Something almost always hurts. I still have nosebleeds on occasion. It takes my body longer to recover after intense exercise, so I had to cut my fitness teaching schedule down from eight classes a week to three. The major difference is what I do. I’ve learned how to manage my symptoms.
There is no cure for Sjögren’s Disease, but there are certain things that I do to help with my symptoms.
I drink a TON of water to stay hydrate and help alleviate the dryness in my body.
I use eye drops and nasal drops, probably for obvious reasons.
I have a humidifier that I really need to use more often. I also have a small one for travelling.
I stretch every single day to keep my muscles and joints flexible.
I tend to wear my glasses way more than I wear my contacts because the contacts dry out my eyes.
I do at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity almost every day because it’s good for my heart, and it help me fight fatigue.
I consume far less caffeine, meat, sugar, and carbohydrates than I used to because I noticed that my body feels better and performs better when I use those things sparingly.
Most importantly, I listen to my body and rest when it tells me to.
Your Next Steps
Today is World Sjögren’s Day! It’s a day that’s devoted to bring awareness to an autoimmune disease that many don’t know about. You might not have Sjögren’s Disease, but now you know someone who does.
Please help me spread awareness by sharing this post.
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: it’s just a number. Our weight fluctuates, so if it goes up, down or nowhere, we’re still AWESOME!
Did you know that there are three amazing benefits of fitness challenges?
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with fitness challenges. I introduced the 28 for 28 Challenge last month. Before that, I did a Firm It Up Challenge, although I didn’t mention it here. Sunday, I mentioned the March 2023 Flexibility Challenge that starts today!
About a week ago, I did a quick Google search because I wasn’t sure what I wanted my March challenge to be. I was surprised to see that there were a ton of fitness challenges out there. Although I didn’t opt for one of the challenges I saw, I couldn’t help but wonder why in the world there were so many fitness challenges.
Then it hit me: no one wants to do anything alone. I mean that’s precisely why I invited people to join my flexibility challenge.
When I thought about it a bit more, I realized there are three amazing benefits of fitness challenges .
Benefit #1: Community
We were built for community. Even the most introverted person needs to be around people every now and again. The same is true in the fitness world. People go to the gym, join teams and attend fitness class because they’re not alone.
It’s the same reason why people join fitness challenges: they want to do great thing and meet their fitness goals, but they want some help along the way. Even if they don’t meet in real life, people who participate in the same fitness challenges have a special camaraderie and build a sense of community. They can relate to one other.
Benefit #2: Accountability
Because there’s a built in community within fitness challenges, people will notice if you go silent or stop showing up. They may tease you or give you a hard time, but it’s all in good fun. As the saying goes, “misery loves company,”, so they want you to suffer with them.
The fact that you’re participating in a fitness challenge may actually encourage you to keep pushing and not miss a day because it feels like they’re watching. And you don’t want to let the team down.
Benefit #3: Contagious Success
When it comes to fitness challenges that have a strong sense of community and accountability, there is a great deal of posting and sharing personal success. When you see the success of those around you, it makes you strive for success.
Sometimes you want to catch up with them. Other times you want to surpass them. In all cases, seeing the success of other is something that spurs you on to be better.
Go All In
In order for you to get the most out of fitness challenges, you HAVE to go all in! Post your successes and your failures. Comment of other people’s post. Encourage those who started the journey but have been missing in action.
Whether you find the perfect fitness challenge online, create your own challenge or join me for my March 2023 Flexibility Challenge, do it full scale.
If you do want to join my Flexibility Challenge, please use the social media links below to register. Please note: since it’s alive stream class, the link will be different every day. However, you will get to participate for free all month if you use the student code…which won’t change.
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s success!
Nearly a month ago, I introduced the 28 for 28 Challenge. I announced that my goal was to swim for 28 minutes every day in February. After my first week, I had to stop. I got really sick, and I learned that there are three reasons you should listen to your body.
The last thing I wanted to do was stop swimming. For seven days in a row, I’d woken up at 3:15 am in order to get to the Y, by 4:30 for my swim. I was developing a habit and feeling really proud of myself.
But something happened on Day 8. I could not get out of bed. It’s not like I just popped out of bed on the previous seven days, but I didn’t have it in me. So I slept in, and made plans to swim later that day. Unfortunately, as the day progressed, I felt worse and worse.
I was a sniffling, sneezing, runny nose mess, so there was no way I would be able to swim. In fact, I couldn’t swim for the next five days.
Motivated young woman pulling a red banner with success word overcoming a failure
Feeling Like a Failure
Needless to say, I felt like a failure. I was really disappointed that I couldn’t push through. I should have been able to make it.
Then it occurred to me that what I considered a failure was actually a major success. Why? Because I listened to my body.
That got me thinking about why that’s so important, and I came up with three reasons you should listen to your body.
Reason #1: Prevent Injury
When I was in college, my dad injured the same shoulder several times. One injury was the result of his job as a letter carrier. I’m not sure if that one could have been prevented. However, the other one was completely preventable.
My dad was known for being a sprinter. There were a few teenaged boys who challenged him to a race. He was in his late forties or early fifties at the time. In his own words, he knew that he had “no business racing a group of kids”. However, he chose to ignore what his body was telling him. As a result, he fell and injured his shoulder.
There are definitely times when it’s okay to push through. Sometimes we definitely need to challenge our fitness levels. However, if you’re thinking that you should hold back or avoid doing something: that just might be your body’s way of helping you prevent an injury.
Reason #2: Promote Healing
Did you know that too much activity simply isn’t good for you? If you were to do a simple google search, it wouldn’t take long for you to find thousands of articles illustrating that point.
Sometimes when you’re not feeling your workout, especially if you’re recovering from injury or getting over an illness, it could be your body’s way of letting you know that you need to take a little time to heal. It would re ally be a great idea to listen.
Reason #2: Preserve Rest
Sometimes I over do it. I’m committed to getting my own forty-five minutes of fitness, even on days when I teach multiple classes. I also work on new content for my classes each week, which requires more exercise.
Maybe that’s not something you can relate to, but I’m sure you might over do things, too. Maybe you go through seasons where you stay up too late, but you still wake up really early the next day. Or there’s so much going on that you get caught in the cycle of eating too much junk food or not eating at all.
During those time when we overdo it, we may still be committed to fitness. So we opt to workout, when we’re really too tired to do so.
It’s possible that our exhaustion is a signal from our body’s that we should take the time to get the rest that we need.
Being Good Listeners
Listening to your body isn’t always easy. Especially when you’re being prompted sit down and not do anything. The alternative is much worse. Pushing though when you need to stop, returning to activity before you’ve fully recovered or not getting adequate rest are all detrimental to our health. Ignoring our body’s messages about slowing down could result in permanent injury. No one wants that.
We have to learn how to listen…even if it means we won’t be able to meet an original goal. We’ll just have to revise the goal.
As for my 28 for 28 Challenge, I’m still in it. I had to double up a few days last week, but I’m all caught up now. I won’t swim 28 minutes every day, but it will average out. Hopefully, I won’t miss anymore days this month. But if my body lets me know I need to rest again, you better believe, I’m going to listen.
What about you?
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s success!
