Injuries

What do you do when you get injured? I have recently asked you about running, body composition, your reasons for healthy living, and now injuries. I have had a few, and currently recovering from two injuries and the flu, another temporary setback.

When you are injured how do you react? What do you do?

For example, some people are so connected to their identity as a “runner” that when they can’t run they cope with eating or some other unhealthy behaviour. Other people simply do another activity until running becomes an option again.

Some take it as part of being active and move on, no drama or why me? They might question if they could have prevented being injured by being more careful, consistent, listening to the signs of overdoing it, but an injury isn’t perceived as a personal offence. 

Others can’t believe their bad fortune and spend all their time wondering how this could happen and little time recovering or adjusting to an alternative exercise routine.

Still, others ignore the symptoms, supplement with Vitamin I, and carry on as if nothing is the matter. This is not recommended. Vitamin I, or ibuprofen, is an anti-inflammatory that reduces swelling and pain in muscles. It has also been shown to inhibit muscle growth.

This seems to defeat the purpose of working out.

I have spent most of the summer with one nagging injury, due to a trail run on steep, rocky terrain. Funny how an injury to your toe can affect everything. Running was out of the question, cycling was not much better and swimming? Well, that hurt the most. Most of the summer I have been at the gym, the only activity that doesn’t aggravate my injury. 

While this was an acute injury, not due to overuse or doing too much too soon, the most common causes of athletic injuries. That was my second injury of the summer, overdoing it at the gym and that got me nowhere. My toe changed my exercise routine and forced me to spend more time in the gym. Frustrating, but not terrible. 

I have had many injuries over the years. Some caused by overdoing it, many caused by doing too much too soon, or just too much.

I have had acute injuries. These often involve crashing in some spectacular way. Actually, most of my crashes have been spectacular and with an audience.

 

Regardless of the cause, the treatment is always the same. Get treatment, find something you can do without pain and do it. While it may be harder to start a different routine, you might get some unexpected fitness benefits from your new routine. You might discover you really like this new activity. You might get out of your rut. 

After many years of helping people get fit and cope with injuries I have found that like everything else in fitness and in life, the way you look at it matters more than anything else.

What do you do when you get injured? Rest, Ice, Elevation and Keep Calm and Carry On? How do you cope with the normal feelings of disappointment? We know that staying fit helps us recover faster, but do we always do what is good for us?

I want to know, what is your injury management strategy?

Change your mind, change your health,

Shayla