05/14/2023
Mother’s Day Confessions 😅
When I was pregnant with Kai the idea of racing a triathlon came into mind (don’t ask me how). I felt sick all throughout the pregnancy, it was not a magical experience, perhaps I wanted to set up a light at the end of the tunnel. Once I reached the end of the tunnel and Kai was born reality hit right in the face. Lack of sleep, lax core muscles, weak legs, zero stamina, anemia due to blood deficiency postpartum, etc.
Once given the green light by the OBGYN I slowly started training, and once my uterus didn’t feel like it was going to collapse right through the pelvic floor I started running. Just like that, Forest Gump style, with not much preparation. Legs were still weak, upper back was in agony from long nights of rocking a giant baby to sleep, and let’s be honest, transverse abdominis (TVA muscle), the girdle that keeps all the internal organs in place and protects the spinal column was not really doing it’s job properly.
Finally, after a few months of charging the hills of our neighborhood in Hawaii (at the time) I came back home with two swollen knees. They cave in to the pressure and said “no more!”. This goes to show that with all the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years, and against better judgment, I chose to do the opposite of what I would have recommended a postpartum patient. I wanted to share this story because I believe that under specific circumstances we can all make stupid decisions. As clinicians we are no different than anyone else.
After getting injured what I could have said and what I often see patient say is that “running is not for me, the constant pounding… my body can’t take it… triathlon, yeah right, maybe in the next lifetime”. But the idea of racing kept on nagging. Therefore, I’ve decided to take a step back and approach things differently. I applied corrective exercise to strengthen under-active glute muscles, especially glute mid and max, the muscles that help stabilize the hip complex. I worked on strengthening the calves and other ankle stabilizer muscles in order to be able to generate more force during the push phase of the stride, and to decrease the load on the knee joints during landing phase. I added in more bike sessions instead of running as a form of cross training. I took the time to do dynamic warmups before each run to help activate the right muscle groups and mobilize the hips and ankles. Post workout, I committed to foam rolling, stretching and strengthening the TVA. To enhance recovery between hard sessions I modified my nutrition to meet my physical needs, and of course I made sure to get treated with acupuncture and bodywork on a regular basis.
So it’s Mother’s Day today and I clocked in 10k. Legs are feeling stronger than ever and no back pain. There’s still a ton of work to be done, but the moral of the story is that we’re all bound to make mistakes, it’s just a part of the process. What truly matters is being able to recognise you made one, and see it as an opportunity to evolve.
If you recently gave birth and are suffering from aches and pains, low energy, low spirits, and want to feel like yourself again, we would love to help you reach your wellness goals. You can DM, or contact us through our website at myphysiosport.com
Happy Mother’s Day from us at PhysioSport Acupuncture! 🏃🏻♀️🚴🏻♀️🏊🏻♀️
