The Burning Will Subside...Eventually...

It’s a phrase that symbolizes accomplishment within the exercise community. It proves that what you’re doing is good for you; that you’re on the path to good results. So why is it that if you “feel the burn” while doing anything else, you should be alarmed? ie: cooking; building a fire; tanning…ahem, urinating…

To me, feeling the burn means that for the next couple of days, I’ll be rendered relatively immobile, due to the adverse affects of my own vanity. Sure, everyone wants to be fit, but man, is it ever tough.

I recently jumped back on the wagon after my third relapse into laziness within the past 6 months. Prior to my wedding in June, I was going quite regularly and actually dropped about 10 pounds (my annual winter weight). Naturally, I wanted to look good for the copious amounts of photos that would be taken (our photographer alone took about 4000). I was happy. Then I went on vacation.

Vacation, if I’m to continue my sobriety metaphor, is a weeklong bender. Junk food is readily available 24/7 and relaxation is all that’s on your mind. It’s a nice break. The problem, though, is when you come back from vacation you need to be prepared to leave your vacation life behind. It’s back to the real world…which is depressing (even if you love your job).

So, you tell yourself that you need to relax to unwind from a week of relaxing - the logic is rock-solid in your mind - and that’s what you do. Eventually, a week turns into two and before you know it, the great progress you had before vacation is now gone and you’re left with the task of starting over; which you’ll do “tomorrow”. So begins another cycle.

It is amazing, though, how quickly you can feel alive after just one day of good eating and some exercise. You start to get excited. It starts to fell like you’re already in shape.

Then you wake up in the morning.

The day (or two) after is generally the toughest part about getting back into a fitness routine. It feels like you’ve been run over; like the muscles you’ve been neglecting for so long are exacting their revenge on you. Your body hates you; and you hate your body. This is your motivation. Take the pain to mean you’ve accomplished something. You’re on the path to recovery. It won’t be easy, but eventually you’ll reap the benefits.

Keep feeling the burn; at least with regard to exercising…otherwise, you may need to get that checked out.

-Crash-

Oh, and remember that this is a bad idea: