Recently I’ve picked up on one or two awkward injuries that have in some ways interrupted my training.
I don’t want any trophies and you can hold the applause but... it didn’t stop me from training.
While I never want to encourage people to train when injured and worsen the issue, I DO think it’s important to:
- Learn to listen to your body.. PROPERLY!
- Be flexible and work around issues
I always say to my clients: “If you only trained on the days when you feel full of energy, you’ve slept well, eaten well and have no aches and pains then you’d probably exercise about 5 or 10 times a year.”
It would be naive of me to encourage people to “just get on with it” or “ignore the pain.” Far from it. Acknowledge the pain and figure out a way to stay active while resting the injured body part.
When it comes to exercise and making regular progress consistency is king. If you take regular breaks from training because things “aren’t quite right” then you’ll constantly be taking one step forwards and one step back again.
Rules:
- Listen to your body but BE HONEST! Don’t look for the first excuse to skip a session.
- If a joint hurts – stop!
- If you’re injured – that’s not the end! Find a way to work around it. Use alternative equipment, try using cable machines, incorporate more cardio work, get creative!
- Focus on other areas: cardio, mobility, isolation work. Just keep active!
- Be patient! Don’t rush recovery! I’ve tried it before and regretted it every time!
Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter(@MichaelD_PT)
