Injuries and the road to recovery

Injuries are never welcome. They always come at the wrong time and can be painful to deal with. They are however almost inevitable at some point in our lives, no matter how careful we are. Even the smallest injury can set you back for a short time in your life.

Knowing how to deal with them mentally, I think, is the biggest key to moving forward.

Quite often I see people become detailed in motivation because of the emphasis they put on what they can’t do. And there needs to be some attention because a plan needs to be worked out about which physician to see, what rehab is required and what adjustments need to be made for the day to day living. Sure, that’s important. What’s not important is only focusing on this.

The deep dark hole

I have been there, trust me. It’s hard. It not only hurts physically but if you are 12 weeks into a 16 week running program and do you pull a muscle that means race day is no longer on your calendar, it really sucks. This is when you enter the deep dark hole. It’s good to acknowledge how you feel, just don’t spend too long there. It’s not a safe place 🙂

Look forward

It’s time to change your exercise routine or exercises so you can keep moving and working out. In simple terms, you have injured 1 spot, there are 100s of other working muscles that you can use. For example, when a runner hurts their ankle or knee I get them into a HIIT session that doesn’t aggravate the injury but still gives them that cardio workout they are looking for. Many times if a client has injured an upper body limb, we focus on lower body for the workout and upper body for the rehab. Keep your mind thinking about what you can do will speed your recovery up. How do you do this? Ask your instructor or PT. They have loads of variations for you and we are always more happy to see you doing something than nothing.

 

Chin up and move forward, always

J

 

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The guy I met in the coffee shop …

I got chatting with a guy the other day while we were getting coffee and once he found out what I do for a living, he let me know what he really thinks of gyms.

I quickly realised it was not a time for a sales pitch ha ha

 

He said “I used to go to the gym, for 6 months, got really ripped, then I stopped for a bit and lost it all” Unbelievable. Not worth the hassle”

And you know what, he was partly right.  If you don’t use it you loose it.

However it all depends how much and how long you have been exercising. If you have followed a routine of 5-6 times a week for over a year you will hold onto your muscle a lot easier and longer than someone who has exercised 1-2 times a week for a year. Muscle memory and size come into play.

On a general scale though, after about 3 weeks of no exercise you will start to see a slight decline in muscle. For cardio, it happens a little quicker.

 

Some things you can do to avoid taking long periods of time off are:

  • Realise when you need to change your exercise routine. If you stop loving it, quickly move on. Whilst not all exercise is the same, something is better than nothing. When I have felt I needed a break from running, I switched gears to HIIT sessions. After having babies I didn’t have the energy for HIIT sessions so I moved to low intensity strength training. Something was better than nothing.
  • Plan to move on your holidays. You don’t have to call it “exercise” but a hike, long bike ride, slow run along the beach, join a gym for a casual session, whatever it is, keep it fresh and fun.
  • If you become sick and need to back off the exercise, mediation and yoga or stretch can help. With busy lives these days, our immune system is taking a hammering. These practices quieten our minds and nervous system and will help get you back on track.
  • Train with a friend or engage in a PT for a period of time to set some new goals. This is a great way to have someone else help motivate you and do some of the thinking for you.

 

Your road to recovery .. back to getting on the band wagon.

Focusing on what you can do is essential. Comparing yourself to your old self is not helpful. Start exploring options and start moving. This is the best way forward. Set some new goals and have fun. If it’s fun, you will do it more often!

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