Each cell combining, a symphony of active screams in chaotic reactivity. The time has come during the night when the biological body is alive, waging war against itself; strives for fuel and building blocks. More ammo required…then more. The battle is finally won sometime during the night; then, finally, we could sleep!
This is a biological adaptation process, and so is DOMS: the process of the body dealing with and repairing itself (and millions of muscle micro-tears) after being afflicted ‘at war’ at the tissue level.
Many people get discouraged when they eagerly enter a gym only to discover a day later the “growing pain” that comes with new found vigor for life. It is usually a very temporary thing. And pain is usually a positive sign. It may mean that our body is reacting well to our workouts. Of course, if the training was a bit strenuous for us, DOMS is a feedback mechanism for not trying so hard next time.
When we’re lying in bed with head-to-toe pain and headed for late-onset muscle soreness the next day or the day after, we better remember what we’re doing all this for; it is a vision of ourselves as healthy, fit, flexible, virile, agile, strong and powerful.
It is the vision of ourselves responsibly maintaining the tent of a body that we have during our very temporary existence. We look around us and there are plenty of examples of people who have thrown their bodies in the deep end, having given up long ago. And what do they have, munching on their Big Mac, that we don’t? do they look happy??
And this is a very real reason why we shouldn’t let our minds fool us into thinking DOMS isn’t worth it. For everything we sow, we will reap. Faith is required. Do not give up now.
Copyright © 2009, SJ Wickham. All rights reserved throughout the world.