FOOSH

 (fūsh) Acronym for fall onto an outstretched hand.

A very common mechanism of injury. One of the most common ways to injure your hand, wrist and/or shoulder.

I thought I would try it.

Now I have a broken arm.

It makes many things much more difficult. Like zipping up a jacket, doing up shoes, opening the peanut butter jar, flossing, doing my hair. Just kidding I never do my hair, but I can’t put it in a ponytail now.

Excuses

Now, if I chose to, I could have an excuse to stop going to the gym, cross-country skiing or exercising in general.

Except there is no good excuse not to exercise.

I can ride the stationary bike, or only do a leg workout, or ski without poles.

Recovery is enhanced when you remain active. Regardless of the injury. Whether you had a heart attack, a hip replacement or fell ice skating – as I did. Exercise makes recovery faster and easier.

Not that long ago we thought that rest was best for recovery, but we now know that isn’t the case for injuries. If you are sick, have a fever, are fighting an infection you need to rest.

If you have a physical injury you need to move your body. Perhaps with some modifications, but exercise = recovery.

Exercise is the best medicine.

Danish research has found that ATP, the molecule that provides energy for muscle contractions, maintains the cells of the skeleton. It also promotes healing in broken bones.

When muscles contract, and with the effect of gravity, forces act on the skeleton which results in straining our bone cells. These cells adapt by translating the mechanical forces into a sequence of events that causes bones to adapt and repair. Research at McGill University found that disrupting bone cells with force is critical for calcium release and bone building.

Just like your muscle, bone requires disruption to repair and rebuild. Luckily you don’t have to FOOSH to make a difference, just get enough exercise.

Change your mind, change your health,

Shayla