"Accumulating injuries is the price we pay for the thrill of not having sat around on our a$$es." --Mark Rippetoe, author of Starting Strength
The bottom line is, you’re going to get injured….
We're certainly going to try our best to keep you healthy, but regardless of how careful you train at some point you'll get injured simply because you're human. Injuries will always occur in any sport. Whether you're a runner, a soccer player, a pickleball player, or a Zumba-er, the body breaks down from time-to-time. The trade-off is most likely that you get off your cholesterol meds, blood pressure med, or perhaps even insulin.
My theory for overcoming injuries is simple: do what you can.
Just because you're injured, doesn't always mean that you should use this as an excuse to skip a workout, or ignore your health.
Hurt your knee? Work your upper body instead, or use the extra time to stretch and rehab. Hurt your shoulder? Focus on your core and lower body instead until your shoulder heals. Have tendonitis from using your grip too much? What better time to work on your running or meal prep. Maybe it’s just going for a walk, or doing some sit-ups and push-ups at home, but certainly don't give your exercise time allotment to something less productive. Most of you are quite familiar with Coach Megin and her remarkable overhead strength (she can Push Jerk 240 lbs!). What you may not know is that in 2010, she tore her Achilles. For months after her surgery, Meg never missed a workout. You could find her upside-down on the wall, hanging from the rig, or one leg propped up on a box, strict pressing more than most could jerk.
Remember, do what you can.
But what if the injury is debilitating? Well, in this case, listen to your body and take the rest because rest is more productive than working through the pain. For those of us that have had a serious injury, we know there's nothing worse. But always do what you can.
Whether it is simply walking, food prepping, or simply taking care of your injury, it is better than just waving the white flag and hoping things improve.
Take advantage of a physical injury by doing something beneficial to your wellness that you don’t normally have the time to and always just do what you can.
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