Hello, my name is Gail Mondry and I am a cardio junkie.
I think I’m mostly in the clear though. It’s been several
years since I overcame the worst of my symptoms. I realize now that the dual
injuries of a broken toe and torn back changed my outlook—that’s when I first took
an honest look at my fitness habits and acknowledged the addiction I’ve been facing
for thirty or so years.
Okay, so my so-called “addiction” obviously isn’t as
serious as the ones that cause people meet regularly at Alcoholics Anonymous.
It may not threaten my life, but it can and did threaten my wellbeing. And I
think my self-realization can help other potential “addicts.” Maybe my cautionary
tale will prevent others from suffering injuries like mine.
I got my training in fitness during the era when group
exercise was becoming more defined. Before, it was a luxury to get a quick,
intense workout with instruction. Now exercise as social activity is the norm.
There are so many ways to get your cardio fix in a class—spin, pilates, zumba,
etc.— and the list keeps expanding. This is both a good and bad thing.
The modern variety in fitness options means you can find
the class that suits your body type and interests, but it also causes people to
inadvertently abuse their bodies. It makes it easier to indulge your cardio
addiction, get the rush of endorphins so frequently that it causes imbalances.
Not only this, but cross-training without proper stretching compounds injuries
and issues. When you’re in the midst of a vigorous regimen you feel invincible.
But we know that you have to stretch as much as you pound.
The suburban lifestyle that has become so ingrained in
the Midwest has only exacerbated these problems. Many of us sit, in front of a
computer or in a car, for large portions of the day, and try to compensate in
bursts extreme workouts.
For years I got “high” on all the exciting things
happening in fitness clubs. I loved teaching those invigorating group classes.
But I wouldn’t stop there. I would go from teaching a double step class to
playing 1.5 hours of tennis in a clinic and round it off with a spinning class.
I would do maybe five minutes of stretching after each activity. And I did this
for twenty years. Thinking I could maintain this daily aerobic schedule injury-free
was kind of foolish.
Maybe I’m still a junkie, but nowadays I’m not able to
satisfy my cardio urges because of my schedule, which got considerably busier
since starting a business. Yoga has certainly tempered a lot of my cardio
dependence. After only my second yoga class, I knew my body had found what it
craved—not the intensity and constant movement, but to be treated well. I
immediately learned things about my body. For starters, I found that my knee
injury actually originated from my hip.
Even after discovering yoga it was still a challenge not
to overdo it. I sustained my recent toe and back injuries at the height of my
yoga teaching and practice. I got hurt because I couldn’t get rid of the junkie
in me. It was a rush to be upside-down on my hands, and to teach others to do
the same. I pushed my body too hard. I took classes on the coasts, where
everything seems to be harder, faster, and hotter. I took what I learned and
incorporated them into my own teachings. In short, my practice became more
intense.
Even though yoga promotes a healthy lifestyle, you still
need to be careful and recognize your own limits. If you’re doing yoga three
times a day, that’s an addiction. Yoga is not about transferring your need to
raise your heart rate into a more sustainable practice. Don’t get me wrong, I’m
overjoyed to see so many in their middle-ages find an option that allows them
to keep working hard. But as Sharron Gannon stated at the Jivamukti Tribal
gathering, “If your practice always has to be harder and faster, it means you’re
not at peace.
