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2B - Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Mandatory
exercise hinders

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hen Iwake up, sel- day we lifted; Thursday we rowed:
dom doI springto Only on Friday did we actually
life, strap on my shoes touch a soccer ball.
he pavement - espe- The routine didn't just wreck
ring myisnind and beat my body, it
in's killed my spirit. I dreaded every
If I hit morning, cemented to the sheets,
g, it's emotionally debilitated and unable
ze to move without wincing in pain.
Then, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
"e became "Perpetually Inset Muscle
why I Agony." I popped Tylenol like Tic-
pend Tacs as I side-stepped at a turtle-
hour CARLY pace up and down stairs, and lived
a KEYES in sweatpants -even dressing
aun- myself caused more pain thanI
ead of could handle.
siles I've planned - that After two months of torture, I
t up. sprained my ankle during a sprint-
times out of 10,1 fend ing session. I rejoiced. I knew it
azy bug, and if I skip a would sideline me forthe rest of
t once in a while, it's no the off season. But if I'm relieved
. But when I was a college after sustaining an incapacitating
exercise was a full-time injury, thrilledto be on the bench
forced, not elective - and and celebrating my inability to par-
d goingto work every day. ticipate - if that's my gut reaction
ed Division I soccer at - then there's something wrong.
o, not Penn State. I'm a I interpretedthe joyous ankle
aember of the Facebook sprain incident as a sign that my
Not Penn State, you dumb current lifestyle had brought me
fnd I have the t-shirt to to an unhealthy place. I quit the
Call me elitist or overly team at the end ofthe year, joined
e, but how does it feel by a few other girls who shared my
)u tell someone you go to struggle and finally freed myself
in and they reply, "Oh, from the crippling pressure of that
in State?" The defense oppressive regimen.
When it became an obligation,
ratherthan a choice, physical
activity hindered my health. To
lease don't this day, I still can't touch a free
weight, sprinting nauseates me,
ke me sprint. and I onlyrecentlyconquered my
demons with the rowing machine.
When I tried cross-fit for the first
time, just the smell of rubber mats
'levant point: A Big Ten andthe sight of really heavy things
ke Penn State, now noto- triggered unpleasant flashbacks.
their football program But working out doesn't have to
very Sandusky joke here), be daunting and intimidating and
nstitution like Penn, where burdensome. The whole reason
n Field is depressingly we do it is to feel better inside and
n the regular, are worlds out. When I began to mend my
was a damn good soccer relationship with exercise, I dis-
ut I didn't go toPenn to covered that I love pilates classes,
areer out of it (notcthat you swimmingbasketball and long-
went to study at Wharton, distance running - I signed up for
y the best business school a marathon in May not because I
untry. So, I prepared have to, but because I wantto.
br a beating in the class- Now, I mix up my workout
ut nowhere did it stipulate routine, because I can. Some days,
tter of intent that I'd be I do push myself and pound out
to gym equipment by an 4500 yards in 25 minutes on the
dictator with a whistle. rowing machine or run three
ason, we practiced Monday miles in 21 minutes. Other morn-
Thursday and traveled ings, Ijust want to walk on the
e East coast for weekend treadmill while reading US Week-
But, despite the rigorous ly. And, on occasion, I do (what
e, Ihad no qualms about used to be) the unimaginable: I
ting to agame Iloved. take a day off.

.NIK *

hen we began the off sea-
there was nothing "off"
Monday we sprinted;
'we kick-boxed; Wednes-

Keyes is definitely not rowing.
To not row with her, e-mail
cekmusic@umich.edu.

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