Guess who's not 18 anymore

So I took my first ballet class since college. The class definitely reignited the passion for dance. I looked great and felt great during the class. The days following; however, not so much. I quickly realized that I'm not a teenager any more and probably inherited my dad's epic failure of a bone structure.

I learned and realized that the warm-up is just as important as the cool-down.  Research indicates that the cool-down helps move the lactic acid away from the muscles. Unfortunately, research for me occurred on day two. Instead, I went to a bar and drank rather than cooled down.

So by day two I was unable to walk and felt like my calf muscles were on fire with every step.  Here are a few thing I did to help alleviate the muscle pain:

First, I began with the typical stretching and elevation of the legs. It's incredibly hard to stretch when you feel like you'd rather cut off your legs. So then I decided that eating proteins and such would probably be easier. I should have taken a photograph, but I ate it instead.

Kim's Super Protein Filled Sandwich
1 English Muffin
1 slice of cheese
2 eggs
1 Morning Star Veggie Patty

Make the eggs into omelet of your choice. Warm up English Muffin and Morning Star Veggie Patty as directed. Place all the ingredients into the the English Muffin. Enjoy one giant protein filled sandwich.

Then I tried to drink as much water as possible.  Drinking water hydrates the body and allows the metabolism to get all the nastiness out.

Legs Up a Wall

Even Oprah says that this yoga pose is beneficial.  It is an inversion and should not be done if you have hypertension, the pregnancy, or high blood pressure.  By raising your legs above your head it "reverses" the blood flow.

The best way to get into this pose is to sit against the wall with your legs to one side. Get as close to the wall as possible with your butt, then lay back and swing your legs onto the wall.

You can either stretch your arms above your head or keep them on your chest. It is important to breathe in your nose and out your mouth. This will also help relax your body.

Out of all the things I did this past week to recover my body, I think this was the thing that was most beneficial.

DIY Cheap Non-(Foam) Roller

In Pilates, we use foam rollers as part of our exercise, in yoga we use foam rollers to stretch and massage parts of the body. I do not own a foam roller, but I recently ordered a poster from Snapfish.com, and luck have it, that I did not throw out the cardboard tube. 

I do not recommend sitting on a cardboard tube, but it definitely can be used to massage out muscles.  A partner is great for applying pressure, but if you're alone you just roll on the tube.

I can't imagine that this is what Michael Phelps or Gabby Douglas does as part of their routine, but it totally works for me.