Anyone else very frustrated?

BrownEyedGrrl

Anyone else out there have multiple injuries, and no matter what type of exercise you do your injuries get aggravated to the point where you are in pain and limping around? I know this sounds lame but I get jealous when I read about all the types of activity that people on here do or when I see someone going out for a jog. I miss being able to go for long power walks or riding my bike through the forest trails. I don't have money to join a gym or pool and I don't swim that well anyways. I guess I'm just extremely frustrated and needed to vent. I know I should be happy and grateful that I'm not stuck in a wheelchair or laid up in bed ill, but I just can't shake this frustration and it's really getting me down lately. Just wondering if anyone out there is facing similar problems

126siany

If you are generally healthy yet suffer injuries with any sort of exercise, then you are most likely pushing yourself WAY TOO HARD.

What sorts of injuries are we discussing?

BrianSharpe

If you are generally healthy yet suffer injuries with any sort of exercise, then you are most likely pushing yourself WAY TOO HARD.

What sorts of injuries are we discussing?

My thoughts exactly. Baby steps, take it easy & build slowly. Any time you're embarking on a new fitness program it takes time for your body to adapt. Remember, this is a marathon not a sprint.

mensasu

Can you afford some light weights? You can get the strap on ones for your legs and do leg lifts in a chair. You could do arm exercises while sitting. You could buy one of those stationary "steps" and just do step ups and down. If your ankles and knees are the problem, then make sure you are doing flexibility exercises (like yoga and stretches). If its mostly your knees look into a good knee brace. There are things you can try.

dr_tina

Well, let me tell ya. Just lost 35 lbs and hit my goal weight, and in the best shape of my life. SIgned up for my first triathlon, and I am not someone who is athletic or ever has been. Ran the first time IN MY LIFE about 6 months ago, and also bought a bike for the first time about 2 1/2 months ago (since a little kid). So, to say the least, yeah it was a pretty big deal to have come this far since only January 2012. Well, I fell down the stairs 2 weeks ago, and broke my back in not one but TWO Places! All my hard work...erased. No triathlon, no running, no biking, not much of anything for a long time. so, to say the least....I am a little frustrated!

Loves418

Anyone else out there have multiple injuries, and no matter what type of exercise you do your injuries get aggravated to the point where you are in pain and limping around? I know this sounds lame but I get jealous when I read about all the types of activity that people on here do or when I see someone going out for a jog. I miss being able to go for long power walks or riding my bike through the forest trails. I don't have money to join a gym or pool and I don't swim that well anyways. I guess I'm just extremely frustrated and needed to vent. I know I should be happy and grateful that I'm not stuck in a wheelchair or laid up in bed ill, but I just can't shake this frustration and it's really getting me down lately. Just wondering if anyone out there is facing similar problems

Let me tell you about injuries..lol..I have had shin splints, thankfully I got rid of them. Then I had acid reflux so bad that I had to be careful not to bounce per say to much it would just aggravate it..ughh..finally got that under control. Lost 40 pounds (have about 25-30 to go) and NOW I have a heel spur or better known as Plantar Fasciitis. I see everyone doing insanity and JM dvds like 30 day shred and I am miserable. My mind is so willing my body other then my heel is craving the intense workout..but my heel wins. I am somewhat on the mend ( I hope this time) and am starting ALL over again tomorrow with workouts. I feel your frustration and even sadness. Hugs...feel free to vent to me anytime.

mensasu

Well, let me tell ya. Just lost 35 lbs and hit my goal weight, and in the best shape of my life. SIgned up for my first triathlon, and I am not someone who is athletic or ever has been. Ran the first time IN MY LIFE about 6 months ago, and also bought a bike for the first time about 2 1/2 months ago (since a little kid). So, to say the least, yeah it was a pretty big deal to have come this far since only January 2012. Well, I feel down the stairs 2 weeks ago, and broke my back in not one but TWO Places! All my hard work...erased. No triathlon, no running, no biking, not much of anything for a long time. so, to say the least....I am a little frustrated!

Ouch - you have a right to be frustrated. Sorry to hear about your injury. I hope you heal quickly.

MFPBrandy

I bought an elliptical for $200; you can find them used for even less. Very low impact, which is great for my back (injured from a car addident). Honestly, the elliptical and yoga are the main things I do, because they aggravate my back the least, and I can frequently do them even during a mild flare-up.
Do you have a municipal pool? That would be cheaper than a gym. Or call the gyms around you and see if you can negotiate a reduced "pool-only" membership.

irishcanadianwoman

Injuries can be very, very frustrating.
I'll give you the advice I got - and it worked for me!

Walk. Just walk. Every day walk a little more. Walk a little faster if you can. If not, just continue with the walking.

justjenn1977

Anyone else out there have multiple injuries, and no matter what type of exercise you do your injuries get aggravated to the point where you are in pain and limping around? I know this sounds lame but I get jealous when I read about all the types of activity that people on here do or when I see someone going out for a jog. I miss being able to go for long power walks or riding my bike through the forest trails. I don't have money to join a gym or pool and I don't swim that well anyways. I guess I'm just extremely frustrated and needed to vent. I know I should be happy and grateful that I'm not stuck in a wheelchair or laid up in bed ill, but I just can't shake this frustration and it's really getting me down lately. Just wondering if anyone out there is facing similar problems

as I sit here on a date with my heating pad and pillows... because of a stress fracture to my foot... because of my general clumsiness... I can relate...


all I can say is work up SLOWLY... increase time SLOWLY increase distance SLOWLY....

when I started I couldn't walk 1/2 mile... I couldn't bike 1/4 mile... it would KILL me... my first goals were to have 1500 steps per day... (because I found that I was averaging around 1200) the first time I rode a bike as an adult I rode 1/2 mile... I stopped 5 times and it took me more than an hour...

now... a SHORT ride for me is 10 miles... a short hike for me is 4-5 miles... we recently did a trip where we biked 140 miles in 5 days...

I did this GRADUALLY... by consistently pushing myself...

and with a lot of aleve... and ice... and time off

dittmarml

I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Type III - fancy name for bad connective tissue. In my case, joints are unstable, muscle and ligament and tendon tear/become inflamed very easily. I'm always in pain and have been since I was a young child. Very very prone to injury.

All I can say is, don't let it get you down. Find something you can do and do it. Do bicep curls with soup cans. Buy rubber band/resistance training bands and get a book/DVD - do the exercises. Take a walk when you can - walking is great for you. And stretch like a crazy woman - slow, careful stretches. Buy a good book on trigger points and learn how to release spasms using fingers, tennis balls. Ice is your friend. Injuries - as frustrating as they are, and believe me I do get down - teach patience.

My days are filled with management of this disorder but I refuse to let the conversation and themes of my life be focused solely on it. The most important thing for me is to feel I'm making progress - so I start doing an exercise and I build slowly. I also keep track of it - because memory is a funny thing, and when I feel I'm going no where I can look back and see that 15 weeks ago I could only walk for 10 minutes - now 30-40; that 8 weeks ago I could only swim 6 laps, now 16. There are lots of sites on the internet with fitness programs - they are all far to strenuous for me - but I read them and think about how to adapt them to something I can do.

I know you say you don't swim well but there are adult swim classes. I don't know if there's a YMCA near where you live (if you're in the States) but sometimes they have low monthly rates. Swimming is one of the best things you can do.

We all need to vent. Remember that "injured", "handicapped", "disabled" - pick your phrase - is not the same as "out of shape". The latter is about diet, and doing what you can to take care of yourself.

Hang in there.

fankyskag

I hear you - I recently injured my knee (to the point where I can barely move my leg), so cardio and leg weights are out of the question for a while. Very frustrated, indeed!

MFPBrandy

I know you say you don't swim well but there are adult swim classes. I don't know if there's a YMCA near where you live (if you're in the States) but sometimes they have low monthly rates. Swimming is one of the best things you can do.

I forgot about the YMCA--many of them also offer financial aid to those who can't afford memberships! And even if you don't want to swim laps, water workout classes are wonderful...ultra-gentle, natural resistance you can easily increase with simple tools, and being able to work out without ever heating up is a beautiful thing!

californiagirl2012

We all have times like this. I have had many especially in the last 10 years; low thyroid and adrenal fatigue kept me from running for some time, bursitis in my shoulder and then frozen shoulder kept me from lifting for almost a year (not that long ago), a cyst in my hip kept me from everything for eight months (not long ago). In fact these last two happened in the last three years, back to back, after I had started on my weight loss journey. It didn't stop me from achieving my goals. I am almost 52 and I have arthritis in both my hips, the list goes on.

Everyone has this. Just because everyone does not talk about all their miseries does not mean they don't have them. I would rather focus on the positive and be encouraging to others than talk about my myriad of miseries.

pkw58

I agree with walk and then walk some more. I do exercise in 10, 20 and 30 minute sets. I just started my barre 3 and have worked up to 30 minutes a day , but it took be three weeks… most of it is standing and doing very small range of motion. but I can tell my core is getting stronger and if it takes me 9 more months to get the "ballet beautiful" I want to be then I will do it.

We all find our way eventually.. do and log , log and do.

waronmyfat

have you tried swimming and yoga?

velmaisvelma

ME!!!! I have multiple health problems that keep me from doing even menial things. I do 15 min on a stationary bike at a gym and I've really done all I can. It is very frustrating to see my friends running, talking about zumba and other programs, when I can barely do basic walking for 10 minutes...

RainHoward

Sadly I know all to well how you feel. Frustrating is an under statement. I'm morbidly obese and then some. My current weight is 554. I live in constant pain. It never goes away just up and down in intensity. Both my knees are mangled, arthritis in both of them. Lower back problems, planer fasceitis in both feet. Toss clinical depression, panic and anxiety on top of all that and you've got a mess.

I was just sitting here feeling sorry for myself, having a little pity party like I do every so often. Depression makes them worse and much harder to pull out of, but I will, I always do. But anyway, I have to constantly remind myself that I didn't get this way overnight and I certainly won't fix it fast either. It took years and years of abusing my body, poor eating habits, accidents and honestly, well, a lot of fun over the years, but now I'm paying the price in pain. Between the constant pain, depression and social anxiety I find it rather difficult to do much of anything. So, I am starting with diet.

The more weight you drop with just diet the less you will hurt. The less stress you put on joints the better. You can accomplish a lot just eating better. It's slower, yes. But it's sure a lot better than doing nothing right? And move more. I try to do little things throughout the day. Sometimes it's as simple as vacuuming the floor. Or using the bathroom upstairs instead of down. I am in a place where I can't even go grocery shopping without the use of an electric cart. I hate it.

You can do this. Don't give up. Do something every single day that moves you closer to your goal. Find something and do it a little bit longer, or faster than you did yesterday. And keep doing it every single day. Eventually you will realize that all of a sudden that thing is easy and you can pick another. And know, you're not alone.

SairahRose

I agree with most of the comments here. It IS frustrating when you can't do what you used to do or what you want to do - I'm suffering myself. It's frustrating seeing the scales move at 1lb a week, or even 1lb a month, when you're used to 4lb a week, or 10lb a month...
But by doing a little when you can, and noting that everything that moves in the right direction, no matter how slow it is, is a step closer to the goal. Sure, it might take longer, but by not giving up, you'll still get there.

*hugs loads* Hope it becomes less frustrating for you x

Restybaby2012

I 2nd everything Rain said.

I thought I was doing so good, dropped 50 pounds in 50 days........doing 20-40 of relatively fast paced work with dumbbells without stopping between "set" or whatever. Now Im being told............


awwwwwwwww hell nevermind. It is what it is and I'll continue to fight the good fight. RAINY!!! Im standing with ya hun

CyberEd312

Sadly I know all to well how you feel. Frustrating is an under statement. I'm morbidly obese and then some. My current weight is 554. I live in constant pain. It never goes away just up and down in intensity. Both my knees are mangled, arthritis in both of them. Lower back problems, planer fasceitis in both feet. Toss clinical depression, panic and anxiety on top of all that and you've got a mess.

I was just sitting here feeling sorry for myself, having a little pity party like I do every so often. Depression makes them worse and much harder to pull out of, but I will, I always do. But anyway, I have to constantly remind myself that I didn't get this way overnight and I certainly won't fix it fast either. It took years and years of abusing my body, poor eating habits, accidents and honestly, well, a lot of fun over the years, but now I'm paying the price in pain. Between the constant pain, depression and social anxiety I find it rather difficult to do much of anything. So, I am starting with diet.

The more weight you drop with just diet the less you will hurt. The less stress you put on joints the better. You can accomplish a lot just eating better. It's slower, yes. But it's sure a lot better than doing nothing right? And move more. I try to do little things throughout the day. Sometimes it's as simple as vacuuming the floor. Or using the bathroom upstairs instead of down. I am in a place where I can't even go grocery shopping without the use of an electric cart. I hate it.

You can do this. Don't give up. Do something every single day that moves you closer to your goal. Find something and do it a little bit longer, or faster than you did yesterday. And keep doing it every single day. Eventually you will realize that all of a sudden that thing is easy and you can pick another. And know, you're not alone.

Wow as I sit here and read your post I kept saying yep that was me, yep that was me, yep that IS me..... Let me just say you have the right attitude and you must keep dong alittle more than you did the day before.. I started at 560 lbs. myself and 38 months later and always putting one foot in front of the other and pushing forward I have lost 311 lbs. So I know you can do it.. I was homebound from 07-09 before I hit rock botttom and had not set foot in a big chain store in several years at that time so I hear you loud and clear... I could barely stand for 20 seconds at a stretch and had a computer chair I rolled myself from room to room.. You can do this....

OP you need to find things to do to work around those injuries while starting out slow and building up to doing any form of exercise.. I have Grade 3 Osteoarthritis both knee's, torn meniscus both knee's, torn ACL in my Right knee, Chronic Lower Back problems from 12 years of delivery Budweiser, I pinched a nerve 2 months ago that left my right hand completely numb and have had to go through PT and steroid packs to get it back to around 70 %. I also have chronic shoulder problems from those years at Budweiser too... I will be getting knee replacements in the late spring after a circumferential body lift surgery in 15 days (have to be completely healed from that before knee surgeries) but I just get up every day take my pain pills and do whatever my body will allow me to do that day. You just have to stay positive and keep pushing forward.... Best of Luck

Restybaby2012

It IS frustrating and hard to lose weight and workout when you have real physical issues to deal with. Ive got a body full of titanium in the form of pins, plates, screws, joints and rods. Ive had 28+ major surgeries over the years to find fix and repair things. My backs been broken 2 different times in 4 different places, my necks been fractured, knees and shoulders replaced and repaired along with torn rotators in both arms, ankles each broken 3 times. Ive been in a couple severe car accidents.....one resulted in the fractured neck--that was most recent. Another involved a deer coming thru the passenger window of the car I was a passenger in and demolishing my right arm, hand, wrist and shoulder as well as collar bone et al.

Walking any distance is extremely painful. Laying flat, belly or back in outta the question. Bending much or often is null. Lifting from the ground up is null. Lifting heavy is not happening. SEE where Im at?

My recourse? Losing the weight by watching calories--close....watching the carbs even closer because ...of course, Im type 2 diabetic which makes it even more important I now get this weight off.

My workouts have built from 5 minutes a day to 40 minutes a day/night. 3 weeks ago I couldnt lift more than a 3 lb dumbbell with my right hand (Im lefthanded) to now lifting 8 lbs. I spend 5 minutes "warming up" and 5 minutes "cooling down"....the other 30 is split between sitting and standing and tossing those dumbbells almost as fast as I can to get my heart rate up a little and keep going. While standing with dumbbells in each hand I do several different things with my legs and feet, stretching and twisting at the waist, bending as much as Im allowed...ALL while jockeying the weights of the dumbbells. It's a form of circuit training I guess. I dont stop between changing the motion / curls etc. Id like to build to an hour and then slowly increase the weights of the dumbbells.

I realize this isnt much compared to most of you....but it IS for me and others like me who have artificial joints etc. I have to believe it is burning calories with the constant movement, the weights, and an increased heart rate.

Ive lost 50 pounds in 50 days.............it's working for me.

I wish everyone great success........and KEEP MOVING

BrownEyedGrrl

Wow! Thanx for the encouragement and various ideas for keeping active. Actually brought a tear to my eye hearing people's stories and how they stay positive. There are a lot of amazing people on here who have been through a hell of a lot more than I have.
Yeah I've got my injuries ( for those who asked: car accident screwed up the whole left side of my body. Finally getting an mri to find out what is wrong with my neck, hip and knee. Meniscus is probably torn in one of my knees. Also have spondylolisthesis in my back and something wrong with one of my feet. Whole body seems to usually be in some kind of pain, not sure if it's arthritis or what) but I should be thankful for all the parts of me that are not injured. Your stories are inspiring and I wish you all the best, whether it's a speedy recovery or dealing with your chronic illnesses/injuries.
On a day like today I need to tell myself to suck it up. Positive thinking is a must and I cannot let my depression, anxiety or injuries bring me down. Definitely going to keep looking for new ways to exercise and try some suggested here. Must remember even if I can only do a little bit it is better than nothing. One of my favorite quotes, though I seem to have forgotten it lately:
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." ~ John Wooden