Phit Pickle: My Phit Phail
Hi friends. Since we are talking tendons this month, I felt strongly about telling my story of tendonitis. Most of you know that I like to be Phit. I walk my dog everyday, I go to the gym on a regular basis, and I hike a lot. I feel that I am pretty good shape for my age. That’s when I was surprised.
At one of the sculpting classes at the gym, I was working with some 5 lbs weights. The instructor of the class said that we should get heavier weights for the next part set of exercises. I thought myself that my 5 lb-ers were pretty heavy for me already but the instructor was adamant that we swap for heavier weights. Against my better judgement, I swapped out my weights for 8 lbs. That may not seem like a lot to some of you but geez, how strong do you think we pickles are?! So I start do the exercises with the 8 lb-ers and within minutes I know it was a mistake. I finished the class and went home.
The next day I had pain in both elbows. Not sharp pain but pretty strong aches. Throughout the day, I noticed the pain with almost every activity I did, from walking the dog to doing the dishes.
I got an appointment with my favorite PTs at PTIS the next day. I was bummed (yet not surprised) to hear the news that I had tendonitis (aka tennis elbow). But what came next did surprise me. I was told that it would be 6 months to 2 years before the injury would heal. A first I figured that duration was worst case and not for someone as Phit as I am. But for the next 2 years, I had decreasing levels of pain, but pain nonetheless.
Today I am back to a regular fitness routine and trying to regain the strength I lost while being injured. The thing that frustrates me most of the whole ordeal was that I KNEW my own body and I SHOULD NOT have been pressured into doing more weight than I thought was good for me! So friends, listen to your body and you may have a chance to avoid the Phitness Phail that I fell into.