The Unbearable Soreness of Being

The things that I do often leave me sore. There is soreness in muscles, and occasionally in joints. Even when the soreness is relatively moderate, it can be draining nonetheless - like a steady, constant, drip-drip of discomfort that permeates the day. For me, it takes a toll in spirit that seems actually greater than any physical pain. Put another way, it can grind me down. And sometimes, the soreness is acute, especially if a new or greater-than-usual demand is placed upon certain muscles. And, of course, this must occur if any real progress is to be made. So, in the end, soreness just seems to be the price that must be paid. Mercifully, soreness overall has decreased simply as time goes by and I continue to train.

Still, I always hope that there is some – almost magical – way to avoid or alleviate soreness. But I haven’t found it yet, although some partial solutions have emerged. What is not a solution for me is over-the-counter pain relievers such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen, etc. In terms of muscle soreness, these drugs don’t really seem to do much for me. I am actually glad that is the case since taking these drugs long-term seems to take a toll on the stomach lining, if nothing else. If I am especially sore, in desperation, I will sometimes take an OTC pain reliever, but again I rarely feel like it delivers any meaningful relief.

The best solution so far seems to be my daily yoga practice, especially if done at the end of the day and particularly if done after a Crossfit work-out. I have noticed that I experience far less soreness when I do my 25-minute yoga routine, and seem to pay a heavy price when I fail to attend to it. Warding off soreness has provided great incentive to adhering to my yoga practice, which is something that I wanted to accomplish anyway without this substantial added benefit.

Still, some workouts exact a toll that seems to fall beyond what yoga can cure, and it seems that this is simply something that must be endured. I watch nature programs sometimes and see images of animals – cattle, monkeys, birds, etc. – stuck out in the rain or snow, silently staring out or downward and enduring the discomfort of the elements. It feels like that, just waiting for the bad weather to pass and the sun to shine again. And yet another way to connect to the physical condition and what it means to be alive.