Insanity Takes Its Toll

Any friends reading this will know that I was working my way through the Beach Body Insanity workout program up until a few weeks ago when my body wouldn't let me go any further.  I made it through 7 weeks and 2 days of the 9 week program.  I even did it on Christmas Day for goodness sakes.  But a few weeks back my body was at the point of deep soreness that I could no longer keep proper form, no matter how much I modified the exercises.  This was causing me some pretty heavy-duty pain in my lower back.  I've already had my back go out on me a few times in the past and I knew if I kept going that it would go out again.

So, I decided it was ok to take a week off.  Then that week turned into two weeks.  Now I'm in my third week off and when I get right down to it, I don't want to start it back up again.

Insanity hurt me.  It's extremely high impact and after the first week of doing it, my feet were killing me and it made an issue I already have in my right foot flair up again.  Getting new workout shoes did help with the pain but I did start to modify all of the plyo moves in every workout.  No more jumping and high impact for me.  I was still dripping in sweat after every workout that I was modifying.  But by the time I decided to take a break, my modifications had become such that I felt I was no longer getting a good workout.

It was extremely important to me to finish this program but now that I've given myself a chance to heal and when I really think about it, I don't want to do that to my body anymore.  Finishing a program like that doesn't make me strong.  I already know that I'm strong.  Finishing something that is hurting me just doesn't feel like a smart path to take.  I did what I could until I could do no more.  That doesn't make me weak.  I didn't give up or stop until I could feel real pain coming on... pain that would cause serious injury.

I'm ready to get back to my workouts but Insanity will not be it.  I will not be finishing up the last two weeks of that program.  I'm ready for some yoga, pilates, zumba, weight lifting, and every-so-often some good HIIT.  No more high-impact workouts for me.

I'll miss looking at Shaun T.'s hot body everyday.  ;)