sore muscle help

[Hilltopmom]

I am so sore lately.

Back & legs mainly, but also arms.

I'm constantly lifting our baby, toddler, and 7 yr old disabled child.  If I am out with everyone, I also have to wear the baby on my back.

 

I could certainly stand to lose the 50 lbs I've gained since we adopted our medically fragile kiddo 7 years ago, but it's not happening anytime soon.

I admittedly don't get any exercise other than chasing the kids.

Due to the littles, I Am barely able to leave the house to get the teens to their activities and go out for groceries one night a week- finding time for me to exercise doesn't happen.  I can't just put the kids in a stroller and go for a walk- I live at the top of a steep hill and can't push the wheelchair and a stroller, nor take our fragile kiddo outside for more than a few minutes (he doesn't tolerate it).

 

Any suggestions?  I know it sounds like I'm not open to suggestions, but I am.

Would yoga help? I haven't done it in years, but could do a video at home.  I feel like just stretching is painful these days, but can tell it would help.

 

Thanks.

[hornblower]

I'd suggest www.doyogawithme.com - great quality free videos. Subscription if you want to pay but free if you can't. 

[happi duck]

(Hugs)

 

It's hard to find time. I struggle and, if I'm honest, I have no reason not to exercise.

 

I've been considering doyogawithme.

 

(Hugs) again

[gardenmom5]

how's your magneisum intake/level?

[MEmama]

We use arnica gel for (exercise and injury induced) sore muscles. It works wonders.

 

For gentle exercise, resistance bands are simple and effective. Gaiam makes workout videos I really like.

[TammyS]

Yoga will probably help some.  If you can afford it, I suggest a trainer who will come to your house, at least for a little while, and get you doing some strength training.  Not to lose weight (though you might, and that will help) but to make you strong enough to do what you need to do without hurting.  Right now, I'm guessing, you're barely strong enough to lift the 7 year old.  You need to get to the point where it's easy, at least relatively.   And you can do that at home.  Good luck.

[zoobie]

I would be concerned about sudden soreness. Your kids didn't suddenly get heavy or need more lifting. You've been doing that all along. Have you had a thorough checkup lately?

 

:grouphug:

[Hilltopmom]

I actually do have a physical scheduled in 2 weeks.  I will definitely bring it up.

 

It's true- I'm not doing anything new that I haven't been doing for years.

[PrincessMommy]

how's your magneisum intake/level?

 

that's exactly what I was going to ask.  You can up your magnesium intake or you can apply the oil (I like the spray) directly to the areas most sore. 

 

I only leave it on for about 20mins because I don't like the sticky feeling.

[gardenmom5]

that's exactly what I was going to ask.  You can up your magnesium intake or you can apply the oil (I like the spray) directly to the areas most sore. 

 

I only leave it on for about 20mins because I don't like the sticky feeling.

 

epsom salt baths are also a good way to get magnesium.   4 cups of Epsom salt, (and 1 cup of baking soda to save your skin.)  you can add lavender oil or similar.

 

at least 30minutes, 60 is better.

[wintermom]

That sounds like an awful lot of physical stress being placed on you, and if you're already feeling sore muscles, you may soon experience joint strain and pain from all the repetitive motions with all the lifting and carrying you're doing. It might be a good idea to get help from a physical therapist, as they could provide stretches and strength exercises for the exact muscles and joints that are being stressed. You may also want to make sure that your lifting technique for your 7 yo is correct and efficient, and that you aren't carrying the baby in a way that puts undo stress on joints. 

 

I've needed the help of a physical therapist on a few occasions, and it has always been time and money very well spent. Sadly, I'd wait until the joint pain was so bad it effected my sleep. Hopefully you will be able to get some assistance before your body reaches that point. Knowing some effective stretches, strengthening exercises, lifting techniques, and even proper posture, has enabled me to eliminate the pain and prevent it from returning. 

 

Good luck!

 

 

[Ali in OR]

Also a heavy lifter here--my disabled child is now 19, but thankfully not very big. Still, 76 lb is just at the limit of what I can lift. She was around 50 lbs through middle school and then finally had a growth spurt. I had to break some bad habits in how I transferred her. She can bear weight momentarily, so now I make sure to usually do a stand-pivot type transfer to her wheelchair. We also finally got a conversion van so that I would no longer have to manually load dd and then her wheelchair (weighs about the same as she does, but more awkward) into and out of the car every time we went somewhere. I used to have a 2-stop limit for errands because it was just too much to load and unload more than that in one trip. Seeing how a PT helped my youngest with a repetitive stress injury, I think I agree with a poster above that it might be a helpful thing to consult with one--talk to your doctor about a referral when you see him/her. 

 

I have always had the same issues about difficulty getting out of the house to exercise. My solution is to get up before the kids are awake and use a treadmill in my bedroom. I also try to do a little strength training--just 10 minutes a day of lunges, push-ups, hand weights, etc.

[Mama Geek]

There is a book called Supple Like a Leopard that among other things shows you how to take a hard ball or a foam roller and roll out muscles.  I had been working with a personal trainer for a little while and this is what he had me doing before doing weight training as well as doing it everyday on the places that were sore.  I have had knee issues so I do a lot on my calfs, quads and hips.  It is pretty painful starting out, but gets better after doing it for about a week.  It doesn't take more than 5-10 minutes in the morning.

[Laurie4b]

I agree with others who say that due to rather new symptoms without changes in physical activity, that you should see a doctor. 

 

You might be doing the equivalent of what is called "overtraining" in exercise circles in that you never take a rest day to let your muscles recuperate. Hopefully, it's as simple as that or as a nutritional deficiency. 

 

Tone can be hard to read on the internet, so I want to say that if we were friends IRL, I would say something like this: 

 

From what you've said in your posts, it sounds like there is a classic blind spot---one that many dedicated moms have. The blind spot is the belief that you can and should pour yourself into meeting every single need of your family without refueling your own capacity to do so. That is critical.

 

Some type of health crisis is made more likely when a person does not exercise and is under chronic stress. So if you end up with a health crisis down the road, what will you do? You will be forced to do the kinds of things then that you could do now in a preventative way. It's more efficient and better for everyone if you start now. This is the "put on your oxygen mask first" principle. I would encourage you to really think about this so that it becomes a core belief and replaces what it sounds like from your post (I could be reading it wrong) like a core belief that your role is to give and give and give as if there were no limit to your giving. 

 

It is necessary for the sake of your family (not to mention yourself)  that you have some time to exercise, for instance. I believe you when you say that on your own, most means of exercise have major obstacles for you. Are you truly alone?  Are you a single mom? When I first read your post, I thought you just had young children, but then I saw that you have teens. Teens can help. Human beings need to be contributors to the groups they are part of and that includes teens. I would really encourage you to challenge yourself to consider whether you have to solve this problem alone. 

 

Brainstorming some practical  suggestions: 

 

Do you have a friend who might want to get in shape? If you walk together, you could push the wheelchair and she could push the stroller. Or one of your teens could walk with you. If they truly cannot, you could consider  hiring another teen to walk with you. (The cost of hiring another teen to walk with you will be much cheaper than health care deductible payments!)

 

Have you checked into the availability of some kind of respite care so that someone could care for your child in the wheelchair for a while, giving you time to exercise? 

 

If you think you could do a DVD at home, try youtube. There are bunches of exercise videos on there.

 

The most efficient way to get cardiovascular health back is to do high intensity interval training. (HIIT) I like to do my own so that I can just listen to my body's cues and push harder when I can and rest as long as I need to. But HIIT involves going "all out" for a brief period of time (30-60 sec) then resting/recuperating by exercising at lower level of activity for the same length of time or more. So if you were doing it at home, you might do 30 sec of jumping rope/high knee jogging in place/ vigorous dance moves and then 1-2 min of walking around the house/slower dance moves, etc. You should warm up first (and housekeeping at a quick pace could be enough to get your muscles warm), then aim for 10 min of intervals (at first) then a cool down, you will not have taken much time. 

 

Incorporate strength training and stretching into your daily activities. I would try to do some type of squat, a hamstring exercise, some type of push-up, and planks. Here are some ways to incorporate them:

 

Squats: you can do squats or the movement for one legged deadlifts (good for hamstrings and balance) when loading and unloading the dishwasher.

When you have to pick something  up off the floor, do a squat to get down there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXJzj9K3sxU  (You can learn the form without fear of falling by putting a low chair or bench behind you.)  Make sure you hinge from your hip---sticking your butt way out like you were going to sit on something; keep your lower back in a neutral position and then your chest /neck/head in an upright position. Some people don't stick their butt out and others hinge totally forward and don't lift the chest.) 

When you get up from a chair, you are essentially rising from a squat position. Let it be a cue to do a set of 10 squats right there and then. 

 

 

Hamstrings:  Single-leg deadlift position when emptying the dishwasher. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FujJkRLG1Fg

Hamstring curls while washing dishes. (You stand facing the sink, and bend one knee so that your foot comes up in the direction of your butt.) It's on this page: http://www.fitlaurenonline.com/2014/12/14/10-exercises-for-the-knee/

 

Push-ups: If you can do them on the floor, great! Do a set of 10-15.  It will take you about a minute! If you can't do them on the floor, do them on an incline such as against a wall or hands on the kitchen counter. 

 

Planks: you need to do them on the floor, but you can do one 30-60 sec plank per day. 

 

Stretching: 

 

You can work in stretches while pumping gas, waiting for the oil to get hot in the pan, etc. The key is to have a repertoire of stretches in mind so that you can work them in.  Look for stretches that you can do standing up because it's easier to fit them in your daily life than ones that require you to get down on the floor on a mat. 

 

Hamstring stretch: There are 3 I have found that you can do standing without putting your foot up on a chair. In one, you put one foot out in front of you and hinge forward a bit, kind of making a K shape. That stretches lower hamstrings best. Another is to stand in front of a counter, hold onto it, and hinge forward, keeping your back straight until you feel a pull in the hamstrings. You can also modify that by bending the knees slightly during that move. This guy demonstrates all 3 and I have done more hamstring stretching since watching his video than ever before because it is so much more convenient!  He is a slow talker. (Be warned!) However, I couldn't find diagrams of the 2nd and 3rd stretches online and I think that they are the bees knees! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHok6LUfdiE  He demonstrates the first stretch at about 3:50, so you can skip to that point. 

 

Standing quad stretch: http://www.westfootankle.com/general-stretches-to-improve-overall-foot-health/  scroll down

 

 

Shoulder stretch: http://physiohub.com/activities/103  Note: people have a tendency to shrug their shoulder upward and then pull it across their body. Just leave it in a neutral position. 

 

Shoulder stretch (3rd image down) http://centenaryarchers.org.au/about-archery/tips/fitness/  You may not be able to touch hands, just do the motion without straining. Gentle stretch.

 

Back: For these, I will get on the floor! (Along with a plank)  You may find that  your younger children enjoy getting down on the floor and imitating you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl39cNzU1tE

 

Cervical Spine/chest (the one where the guy is leaning into the corner) and trap stretch (1st one) and the one where he is leaning back from the hips in a standing position:  http://www.atomatic.com/assets/1/workflow_staging/Page/319.PDF

 

 

Edited May 29, 2016 by Laurie4b

[trulycrabby]

Are your hands and feet sore? Are both sides of your body sore, or is one side more painful than the other? Do you have any low grade fevers during the day?

[Hilltopmom]

Thank you everyone.

 

My joints are sore as well, mainly knees & elbows. Both sides of body. No fevers. Feet sore, but that's from tile floors, just ordered new good indoor shoes, I have to replace them yearly, at least.

 

My teens do help, often, & daily. My husband does as well.

I'll read all the suggestions carefully, thank you.