It’s that time of the year again. There’s something about entering a new year that just feels like a fresh start. For many, it’s an opportunity to start making some positive changes in their life. While it has become common for people to bash the idea of setting resolutions based on a new year, I commend it. We all need a little motivation at times and if the start of a new year is what drives you one step closer to your goals, that’s great! You’re definitely not alone as over a third of Americans set resolutions for themselves every new year. For those that are setting a resolution, over half are health related with exercising more and losing weight leading the pack.
Often when these goals are first set at the beginning of January, they’re met with extreme optimism. The internet becomes littered with memes showing packed gyms the first week of January followed by emptiness in February. Part of this drop-off comes from a loss of motivation which is understandable. It’s hard to stay constantly motivated and that is where habit building comes in for the win but we’ll save that for another day (Or go ahead and add reading Atomic Habits by James Clear to your goals for this new year. You can click here for that). Another reason why drop-off occurs is pain. After spending December in a craze of travel, holidays and time spent with family, fitness was at the back of most people’s minds. And eating healthy? Forget about it (No judgment if you ate dozens of Christmas cookies last month as I’m right there with you).
What happens next is a complete 180 in January. Let’s look at an example of this in action. We’ll call this person Jim. Prior to the new year, Jim was typically working out 1-2 days per week but then decided to take a couple weeks off around the holidays due to a crazy work schedule followed by some travel for the holidays. After getting a bit frustrated at some weight gain over the holidays, Jim decides he is going to hit the gym hard 6 days per week (see what I did there) and go on a diet of 1,200 calories per day. After the first day, he’s dealing with some brutal muscle soreness but tries to push through it. Instead of taking the intensity down, he keeps his workouts at a high intensity for the rest of the week. Now he’s not only experiencing muscle soreness but his back is aching quite a bit and his knees feel like they’re going to explode every time he goes down some stairs or kneels to play with his kids.
What did Jim do wrong? Some medical professionals might blame certain exercises he’s doing. For example, squats in relation to his knee pain or deadlifts in relation to his back pain. They couldn’t be further from the truth as some of the movements can also be the key to getting him out of pain and reducing the chance of getting injured in the future. Where the issue really lies is that a rapid increase in exercise with a just as rapid decrease in calories eaten and we have a recipe for pain. Understanding why this is problematic is also key to the solution so let’s dive a bit into the human body.
The human body is amazing in its ability to adapt to some of the demands we put on it. Often, you’ll see analogies comparing the human body to a machine but that’s honestly a faulty comparison. Let’s take a car for example. The tires on your car will only go so far before they ultimately have to be replaced. Once the tread on the tires are worn out, it will not regenerate itself whereas many of the body’s tissues will regenerate when provided the right environment to do so. Now I know what you might be thinking, “I got an x-ray and it said my knee was bone on bone, and I would have to get a knee replacement in the future”. Well what I’m telling you is that if that was the only context that you were given at your appointment, find a new provider, like as soon as you finish reading this article. Doesn’t even have to be me, but find someone else. I don’t care what degrees they have if they’re not willing to sit down with you to teach you and work with you to be healthy while still hitting your goals. Your body has ways to work around many of the changes that are seen on musculoskeletal imaging if you give it the right environment to do so.
“Well, what is the right environment?”
For adaptation to occur, your body has to be able to meet the stresses that are placed on it. Exercise is a stressor. Reduction of calories below what your body maintains weight at is a stressor. Work and school are stressors. Lack of sleep is a stressor. Anxiety is a stressor. All of these and more place stress upon the body to which it then has to work to adapt. When the stressors become overwhelming, your body will not adapt and that’s where we can run into pain and injuries. To reduce the chance of getting hurt, you need to address all of these variables. Think of it like a recipe for a cake (can you tell I liked baked goods?). The stressors are the ingredients and the cake is how we feel. Everything added in just the right amount will create the best tasting cake. If the ingredients are off a little bit, we’ll still end up with a decent cake. Same as if the stressors are up a bit, our body will still continue to adapt but may not get the exact results we want. If the ingredients are way off, then the cake is probably going to taste like crap. Just like if the stressors are jacked up then you’re probably going to feel like crap and you won’t get the results that you worked so hard for.
So how do we avoid this crappy tasting cake? We start S.L.O.W.
Scale your exercise program and make small changes to how much you are eating. Subtle changes each week go a long way. If you’re currently doing 10 sets of weight lifting and 20 mins of cardio two times per week, don’t jump right into 20 sets and 60 mins five times per week. Gradually increase the number of sets and time each week OR add one day with a similar amount of activity. Seems too easy? That’s fine! You can always continue to add more each week as long as you’re feeling good. There should also be some clear goals as to why you’re doing the forms of exercise that you are doing. Just choosing exercises at an intensity that leaves you feeling crushed may seem like it’s doing a lot, but in reality you’re really not getting much out of it.
Lower your expectations for each day and week. We tend to overestimate how much we can get done in a short period of time yet at the same time forget how much we can do over a year’s time. Setting small achievable goals is key here as these will be stepping stones to the bigger goals that can be met. It also allows us to appreciate the process, which along with habit building, sets the stage for permanent and positive changes in our overall health.
Optimize recovery. When we exercise, we are breaking tissue down. The positive changes then happen while we recover. When decreasing calories, do not make steep cuts unless you’re under the guidance of a licensed dietitian. Aim for 7 plus hours per sleep most nights. It’s ok to have a rough night of sleep here and there, your body can handle it but if you find yourself on a Netflix binge every night until 2am just to hear the alarm going off at 6am, then we have a problem. Also spend some time on yourself for your mental health. In fact, a study back in 2019 showed that college athletes who had high levels of stress had much higher rates of injury and illness compared to their peers who had low levels of stress (see bottom of the page for the source). There are also a ton of recovery modalities out there but make sure you’re hitting the big ones of diet, sleep, and mental health first.
Work with a reputable professional. A knowledgeable trainer or performance physio will help guide you along the right path. If you don't have a personal recommendation from family or friends, really vet out who you find during your search.
The great thing about all of this is that even if you are already in pain or dealing with an injury, it’s still applicable and may even help you get out of pain. Of course when in doubt, seek the care and advice of a medical professional.
P.S. Don’t forget to do your squats and deadlifts.
-Doc Ryan
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This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services.
Article: Monitoring Training Loads and Perceived Stress in Young Elite University Athletes Hamlin et al. front. phys 2019
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