I am sure many, if not all of you, have experienced an exercise related injury at some point in your lives. Maybe you have the dreaded Runner's Knee or perhaps twisted your ankle after a killer kickboxing class.
Whatever your ailment, how you treat and recover from any injury can affect your attitude and performance, so here a a few tips for dealing with exercise injuries.
Get the Right Diagnosis
Whether you have chronic pain or an acute injury, it is so important to make an appointment with doctor and get a proper diagnosis.
Depending on your particular injury, your doc will be able to make a referral to a specialist or give you the go ahead to continue with your training (If you are working with a personal trainer, make sure you get him to complete a PAR Med X so your trainer knows what she can and cannot do with you.)
Do Your Research
Once you know what your specific injury is, find out as much as you can about it. Do a google search (make sure you look for trusted sources such as WebMD), or hit up the library.
If you are dealing with a chronic issue or a repetitive injury (such as IT Syndrome), it may be worth your investment to purchase some books on the subject to help with pain management and treatment.
The more you know how to recognize and understand what is happening in your body, the better rehab specialists can help you with your injury or condition.
Set Goals
Many of you know my new found approach to goal setting, but you have to find what works best for you. You could write them down, create a inspiration board, record a video, just to name a few ideas.
Work with your trainer on a plan to help you on the road to recovery. Having a plan of action can give you direction and hope after the frustration of being sidelined with an injury.
Heal Thyself
Accept that it is going to take time for your injury to heal. This will involve some modifications to your current exercise program.
You may find you have more rest and active rest days that you are used to. You may have to try different exercise modalities (swimming is often recommends and as you know, is one of my favourites) Your specialist may also recommend other forms of rehab such as acupuncture, massage or physiotherapy.
The important thing is to give your body time to recover with a little patience. I know this can be very difficult which leads me to my next point...
Stay Positive
Attitude is everything. This is much easier said than done, but I am sure you have overcome other obstacles in your life and you will get through this too. Seek out the support of friends and family who have also experienced injury-related setback and share your stories.
If you are truly finding yourself ina funk, try a sports psychologist who might be able to help you look at your injury from a different perspective.
Have you suffered from an exercise injury? How did you deal with it?
Stay Healthy,
Tracy
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