I take unquestionably relaxing care of myself.
- I make sure to drink lots of water, get plenty of rest & eat right.
I workout everyday for around an hour & include a mix of high impact activities, stretching, balance exercises & strength training. Because I am in great physical shape, I tend to push myself to extremes. I recently tackled a home improvement project that involved hanging sheets of drywall on the ceiling. Although I broke the sheets in half, they were still quite large & difficult to maneuver. I am a fairly small woman in my fifties & struggled to hold the sheets in place while operating a cordless drill. I realized I was abusing my muscles but didn’t realize the extent of it. I ended up tearing my trapezius muscle. Within a few minutes, I was in such serious pain that I could no longer sit, kneel or walk. I was forced to lie on my back on the sofa. The upper left side of my back was so badly swollen that I felt like I was lying on a boulder. I applied ice to the injury, took pain medication & was unable to move around for 3 weeks. I could not wash or comb my hair, dress myself or even make it upstairs to my room. I was right on the verge of needing surgery to repair the damage. It was a long time before I was able to exercise again, & I needed to start very slowly. I began by pedaling the stationary bike with no resistance. It took nearly many weeks before I felt close to normal again. It has now been a year since the injury, & I am still being extra careful not to lift weight over my head.