Sore Muscles

There is a sign at my health club that says, "Pain is the sign of weakness leaving the body." If that's the case, there is a lot of weakness on its way out the door right now!

After a several-month hiatus from regular strength-training workouts, I started in again this week and wow, do I ever feel it. All of the muscles that have been under used and under challenged for a while are now making me painfully aware of their presence. A little reminder about "no pain, no gain" plus a dose of ibuprofen is keeping me going at the moment, and I do mean going, because I'm back at it this morning. Having done this before, I know that the pain is temporary and I will soon be able to increase both the weights and the repetitions as I increase my strength.

My sore muscles are a reminder that there really is no such thing as status quo. We are either progressing or regressing. For those three or so months that went by without me darkening the door of my health club, my muscles didn't remain where they were when I last worked them. Now the work has begun to get them back where they were for starters, then move forward from there.

What's true for my muscles is true of our health. When we aren't taking action to improve it, we are actually taking a step back. I wish that weren't the case, but it is. The choices we make every day either move us forward or backward, towards a healthier body or in the other direction. My aching muscles tell me that I have been heading in the wrong direction for a while. The good news is that as soon we decide to head in a a more positive direction, we begin to make a positive impact on our health. There may be some initial pain or discomfort as we begin flexing muscles that haven't been taxed in a while (or perhaps never), but the discomfort will soon be replaced by a new level of strength. We just have to hang in there and keep making those choices every day!

Yep, it always comes back to choices, doesn't it? Choose wisely :-)