Resting isn’t the best answer.
Injuries suck! That’s just the truth, there is nothing fun about being injured. It messes up our training, our routine, our hormones and even our sleep schedule. One of the great frustrations I see as a coach is the lack of a rehabilitation plan outside of just rest it…
Ugh! I dislike this advise! Don’t let an injury make you weaker! Use it as a sign to get stronger!!
From a pulled muscle to a stress fracture…there are always adaptations/modifications that can be made. It’s good for the mind and the body to be versatile. Stress fracture in your leg? Great time to focus on core strength! Pulled hamstring? Great time to lift upper body! The key is to Keep Moving Forward. So you can’t run, you can still build strength for better posture! AND: Keeping your body active will shorten your recovery time!
There are so many activities we can do, we have pretty close to unlimited options. Be creative if/when you experience injury. While you may need to rest the specific area injured, you don’t and shouldn’t just stop doing anything. Also: think of the exercise/activity you dislike the most (swimming for me!) When injured it’s a great time to push your frustrations into getting better at that exercise/activity you hate! In all reality, most likely the only reason we hate an exercise/activity is because we aren’t any good at it! So being injured from running is great time to gain proficiency at a known weakness! You’ll then be stronger both mentally and physically! You’ll come back to running a better athlete, and isn’t that the goal??? To always strive to get better, regardless of the obstacle.
Cheers to many healthy miles…and courage to keep moving forward if/when injury happens!
Need suggestions for modifications? Leave a comment or reach me via email: coach@lfathletics.com
Matthew Reedy