Growing Pains

OK, so we live in a neighborhood where we are the youngest by several decades.  This was totally an accident.  When Solomon came out to interview at Allegheny, we came out for one long weekend.  We used a lot of that time to look for a place to live, and really liked the condo we found and eventually moved into.  We considered coming back for a weekend to apartment hunt, but ultimately decided it was our best bet to just live in the place we saw and liked.

Well, had we come back to Meadville we would have never ended up living here.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s a perfectly nice neighborhood and our place is great, but we kind of stand out.  A lot of our neighbors are snow birds, so we don’t even see them most of the year.  However, almost all of the neighborhood is elderly.  While I have nothing against elderly people (except maybe their driving…), it’s not been the most ideal neighborhood because there aren’t people our age to meet and get to know, so it’s been a little bit isolating.  Plus I don’t think anyone is surprised to hear that I’m lonely here.

Why do I bring up my neighborhood?  Most people here aren’t particularly active, mostly they go for strolls and stand in the middle of the streets and chat.  From what I can hear (and I kind of keep to myself) it’s either talk about the weather, or their aching bodies.  I would think to myself that I felt so lucky I am healthy and fit, and don’t have to worry about it, but then…I got pregnant.

Suddenly, I’m an aching mess!  Part of the reason I am unsure about running the half is not even my own abilities (which are now lacking, I’m a wheezing machine), but it’s the creaks and cracks of my body when I run.  My back aches and my hips ache…not too ideal for running.  Hip and back pain are actually quite common during pregnancy.  The body is releasing hormones that help to soften and relax muscles and joints to help prepare the body for labor and delivery.  This causes muscles and ligaments to react differently to the hormones, which increases the risk of injury and pain. 

Back pain comes from the growing uterus and a shift in balance in the body.  When your center of gravity changes, it impacts your other body parts which have to work to compensate for this.  I also have some pain in my abdomen which is normal and natural, because the baby is growing and needs a place to go!

So what can you do to help with pain?  It’s just like any other normal pains you have, even when you aren’t pregnant.  A lot of stretching and yoga has been so helpful for me.  I have also read that taking baths (epsom salt baths) is helpful, but frankly baths kind of gross me out (no offense to anyone who loves baths, but sitting in my own dirty bathwater just skeeves me out).  Massage sounds great, but I want to wait a little bit until I do so.  Some things I have been doing…foam rolling!

I got my foam roller from my Open Sky Shop after having used one at a gym.  It soothes all of my muscles, including my hips.  I find that it’s useful to roll all of my muscles, even if they don’t hurt, simply because they are looser than normal because of the hormones.

I’m also loving me some Biofreeze.

My dad introduced me to this a few months ago, and I knew I need it in my Open Sky Shop.  It doesn’t smell like a lot of other muscle rubs (I remember in my college swimming days always smelling like BenGay and chlorine…memories) and isn’t greasy or slimy.  It just rubs right in and starts working immediately.  It has been amazing for my aches and pains.

I should also probably try ice or heat on my back, but I’m hoping some rest and relaxation might be helpful.  I am not taking any pain medicines, I want to avoid that as much as possible, so right now, I’m doing the best I can!

What are some of your best aches and pains remedies?  Do you ever feel like you are years older because of your aches?

By the way, the giveaway I mentioned earlier this week is going to be tomorrow!  Keep your eyes peeled!