Not So Snappy

     As my regular readers know, one of my goals for the New Year was maintain a more consistent exercise regimen, i.e. work out at least 4 times per week.  I’ve been really pleased with my progress on that front, but came to the realization that my treadmill workouts were boring me and I needed to switch it up a bit.  So, for the past month, I’ve been alternating between Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred DVD, running on the 'mill and Jillian’s Banish Fat Boost Metabolism DVD.  I've been loving how
I feel afterward.  Just like last year when I
was on a major 30DS kick in anticipation of
our wedding, my shoulders and arms are
already getting ripped!

     When I realized that I have to be in bikini shape for our trip to Maui and Kauai in seven weeks, I bought Jillian’s 6 Pack Abs in 6 Weeks DVD. The holiday season, Superbowl parties and Valentine’s Day sure didn’t do my waistline any favors. I tried Level 1 of 6 Pack Abs last night and could tell that my core was being tested like never before. Then, all of a sudden, as I was lying on the mat, I started to feel this snapping sensation in front of my hip. I noticed it was happening during certain parts of the circuit more than others, e.g. mountain climbers while in plank position and certain variations of leg raises.  It wasn’t so uncomfortable that I couldn’t finish the DVD, but it certainly wasn’t pleasant. As I walked upstairs to take a shower, I experienced pain in the same area and immediately thought “Oh no, please don’t let this derail my awesome progress just when I’m getting back into the swing of things.” 

     My nerves got the best of me (they always do) and I turned to the Internet. I’ve diagnosed myself with external snapping hip syndrome, which is common in athletes ages 15-40 and affects females slightly more than males. Dancers and gymnasts are especially prone to this condition.  The snapping results from the movement of the IT band as it passes from the outside of the hip over a large bump on the femur called the greater trochanter.  In short, if your IT band is too tight, it can be stretched like a rubber band over the greater trochanter creating the snapping and it may eventually lead to hip bursitis.

     Of course, I next wondered how can I prevent this from happening again and when can I exercise at full capacity? The primary prevention strategies are to stretch the area during your warm-up and condition your hip flexors. It is also wise to avoid leg lifts and flutter kicks – too bad I didn’t know this earlier :( The pain usually subsides in 6-8 weeks with appropriate stretches of the hip pirifomis and flexor. 

    Even though running and jumping isn’t recommended, I’m going to try to ease into a slow jog tomorrow and see how I feel. If I can make it a couple miles, then I will attempt Level 2 of the 30DS. Of course, I will do some major stretching before I jump on the old treadmill. If that doesn’t work and my new regimen is on the back burner for a few weeks, I’ll try to make the best of it by focusing on toning the upper body and toss in some old school sit ups for good measure. Send me healthy vibes!

     Have you ever experienced an injury or condition that affected your exercise routine? How did you handle it?