I tried too hard. I thought I’d just hop on a Peloton and pedal away half my bodyweight, and by the summer, I’d be a vision of chiseled abs and deltoids. I threw in a standing desk too for good measure. I told myself, “I will do all the things that will get me back in shape, and I will do all of them as intensely as possible.” What could go wrong? I’m a lithe, nimble 30-year-old. At least… mentally. Truth is my body has graced this earth for 42 years (minor technicality), which means that despite my youthful mindset, the effects of middle age are starting to rear their ugly heads.

Turns out that going full force with new exercise equipment does have its pitfalls. By May I noticed that my ankles were exceedingly stiff and my Achilles felt inflamed. I blamed it on my standing desk (because honestly, so much awfulness in life comes from standing), and continued grinding out on my Peloton. The aches, however, would not go away. Eventually, my friend, who conveniently happens to be a strength conditioning coach, broke the inevitable news to me: I was doing too much.

My body wasn’t ready for an intense Peloton lifestyle. I had failed to ramp up, instead opting to jump in head first, and now here I was, groaning like an old man every time I rose from the sofa. My friend’s recommendation: icing, anti-inflammatories, and a prolonged Peloton break.