(BlackFitness101.com) Once you decide to work on your health and fitness you don’t want anything to stand in your way. You have found a way to squeeze it into the madness of your day, and it might have become a decompression space. Regardless of what the time signifies you are getting the work of making your health a priority done. If you are like me, you go to great lengths to be safe in the gym. You know the state of your body going in, and you respect this. You know how the machines are supposed to be used and you comply. You probably add an extra set of stretches to your workout not only because its good for you, but you don’t want to pull a muscle or hurt yourself in any way. The goal is to keep your momentum of getting into the gym.
However, sometimes life happens, and we find ourselves injured. In some cases the injury is ignored in hopes that we can just work through it…that it’s not too bad. Put some ice on it, or some heat, let it rest a bit…and everything will be fine. This works sometimes and your body may just have an “agitated” area, but sometimes you are legitimately injured.
I was once told by a trainer, and former athlete, that I did not know how to be injured. They explained that when hurt I wanted to continue trying to function at the same capacity. I didn’t know how to sit back and heal…so the process would take longer and a greater toll on me. Think about the times you have been injured…. did you actually do what the doctor ordered. If you did not…you are in this boat with me. Every injury doesn’t require weeks, or days, of bed rest. Sometimes we injure small body parts and simply don’t want to wear the brace because it’s uncomfortable. We feel it’s necessary to continue doing things at the same capacity because if we don’t do it who will? The problem is we are setting ourselves up to be away from the gym longer as we might incur greater injury.
After I had my son, I wanted to rush back into a routine I previously knew. I strained my left thumb handling him (he’s a big baby) and trying to do too much at one time. When I felt the strain, I continued pushing myself, and shifting some of the pressure to my right hand but continued using my left. I was warned that I may want to slow down before I seriously injure my hands. Needless to say, both thumbs are injured and in braces. Even now I find it hard to be injured, but pain has a way of making one take a seat. Some of my light resistance training is having to be adjusted as I can’t really use my hands well.
Regardless of what we are trying to achieve with fitness, you can’t do it if you are injured. If you know you’ve hurt yourself consider getting it looked at by a professional. If they deem you injured follow the path of healing so that you can get back to your life, and gym, without further incident. Learn how to deal with your injury so that it doesn’t get worse for you.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.