INJURIES

I am sure all of us have suffered from some sort of injury at one point or another.  Well, when you are a fitness devotee, addicted to exercise, die hard...whatever you want to call it, an injury can feel like an ENORMOUS punishment, the time waiting to heal can feel like an eternity.

Often, because of our impatience and strong desire to get back to exercise we try to come back too soon and set ourselves back even further.  I hurt myself again (shocker....due to the long line of clumsiness in my genetic lineup and which I am so sad to say I have passed on to at least one of my children...poor thing, I blame my mother and father and sister and...haha) and was thinking I should write a reminder to all on rest and recovery.   I have hurt myself many times, usually in embarrassing ways that have nothing to do with exercising or being physical but more like stepping off a curb wrong (resulting in a broken foot while pregers with twins) or breaking toes stubbing them or falling or breaking a finger while punching a wall...ok maybe I didn't punch a wall but I have broken fingers in silly ways too and my latest debacle was an injury to my foot from....drumroll please...falling down a couple stairs.  I blame my kids because there was a snow boot there and I tripped over it (well I am thinking I must have, that sounds better to me then tripping over my own feet although that could very well be the case)  and landed on my foot in an externally rotated position.  Anyway, it was late in the afternoon and I waited until the next morning for xrays thinking I could tough it out or "man up" and it would get better.  Meanwhile I swore it was broken due to the amount of pain and inability to move my toes or foot BUT praise be to the Lord (could it be he heard my tear stained pleas to him to not let it be broken..."I don't have time for an injury" and I don't want to have to have a break from my workouts) it is not broken, it is just traumatic tendinitis and this will heal much faster then a break and it is already doing a bit better.  I have a walking cast but won't have to have it long.  Anyhoo I was/am so upset b/c after over a year of struggling with plantar fasciitis in both stinkin feet I had just started back at running and was even able to run 3 miles (i know big whoop right...but it is when you use to not be able to walk without pain) a few times and then BAM my clumsy butt has to fall down some stairs.  Are you kidding me.  NO, not more rest time.  Well, my point is REST with an injury is so important.  Part of the reason I took so long to recover (and still have slight issues) with plantar fasciitis is due to my lack of rest time.  Yes, I am a trainer, I know what to do but but do as say and not as I do is applicable in this case (as is a few other areas of my life).   I teach 6-9 classes a week and it is very hard to teach and not participate.  I am jonesen to jump, to run, to drip with sweat....OH GOODNESS BE I love it, I need it.  I am a crabby patty without it and this week has reminded me of that.  Even though I prefer cardio over weights I still need to get my cardio on.  I have had to teach my classes recently without participating myself and it makes me so mad.  Sure I can lift weights but I can't do all the cardio components oh and my poor innocent little children (but lets be honest they don't act so innocent all the time) were suffering the brunt of having a mommy that did NOT GET HER SWEAT ON.   Sorry babes :) 

Exercise is my stress relief.  Is it yours?   Could our troubles wash away with our sweat?  Ok, maybe not completely, but it sure helps.

So... I am getting off track...my point is when you feel even a hint of an injury coming on be careful.  Sure, we are not in control of every injury (like falling down stairs) but you can feel plantar fasciitis coming on (mine started with the feeling of getting nice little stabs in my heals while running), you can usually feel a hint of a shin splint or you can tell when your knees are bugging you.  This is your body talking to you.  HEY LADY....I AM HURTING, TAKE A BREAK and if you don't listen it will break down and you will be sorry.  BELIEVE ME!!  

So what should you do?  RICE = Rest (the hardest part), ICE (a cold pack, ice or frozen peas) for no longer then 20 minutes at a time, Compression (helps reduce swelling) and Elevation (take a load off and put your foot up girl).  If you are running and you feel shin splints or plantar fasciitis or knee pain coming on, well switch it up. As much as you may be searching for that runners high...GIVE IT A BREAK.  Swim, go for a bike ride, lift weights, something without a lot of impact.   If your knees are hurting you when you are doing squats and lunges then limit your range of motion or stop doing them.  What?  Stop?  Yes!  There is a difference between the pain of a weak muscle working through an exercise or the pain of an injury happening.  Do the leg extension machine.  Do dead lifts.  Lay on the ground with a band around your ankles and work your legs another way.  There is always another way.

Listen to your body.  We know our body.  We know when something is off.  It is up to us to listen before we do more damage.

As I am sitting here with an awesome boot on that could be used as a weapon I think about the mountain climbers I had to half ass do with one leg this morning and I am mourning a bit inside and yes I am quite unhappy that I will have to adjust my diet even more to make up for my decrease in calorie burning that is going on but as everyone  always says that is trying to get you through a time when things are the best - THIS TOO SHALL PASS.  You will heal, you will get over your broken bone or the flu bug or whatever it may be.

Soon, you will be busting your butt again :)