Everyday Systems

I'm probably tempting fate posting this but....

Has anybody noticed their aches and pains lessen doing Shovelglove?

I've been off sport for quite a few years because of a sacro-iliac problem that I finally got fixed last year. However I still had a some residual pain in my left hip. I also had a lot of pain deep in my left shoulder and also had a weak left achilles tendon (which was exacerbated by buying a pair of mad Earth shoes, which made my poor achilles tendon hurt quite a lot).

I did one week of shovelglove and was in agony with my hip for a few days, but once it died down I started again, and now there appears to be a big improvement after six or so weeks. My pelvis actually feels somewhat stabilised doing all these Hindu squats. Also the pain in my shoulder has almost gone and I can wear the Earth shoes without my achilles tendon hurting anymore.

It's making me wonder how much of these middle aged aches are caused by weakening of muscles and joints rather than actual damage to them. It's reminding me of when I used to row in my twenties, which involves a lot of strength and I can say I was never injured or suffered pain throughout the three years I was doing it. You always hear about sports injuries but there also seems to be an opposite effect that movement and strengthening have.

Regarding these type of injuries everyone should tread lightly. What is good for one person may not be good for another.

If you can, tune in to what your body is telling you. You may be able to discriminate between healthy muscle soreness and dangerous tissue tears.
(although some muscle tearing is a natural part of the muscle building process)

I have been told by fitness professionals whom I respect that muscles can increase in strength more rapidly than tendons and ligaments. The back is probably the most complicated wad of connective tissues anyone could imagine, but strength training and range of motion exercises can do a great deal of good for the health of the back/posture.

So, I think the important thing is for everyone to strike the balance between exercising hard and causing injury. If you train at a level that your body can tolerate, your health will likely improve. Too hard, and you may wind up taking two steps backwards.