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By Coach Kristen

Being injured sucks. It can happen at the most inopportune times in your training; it’s the wrench in the gears, the burr in your saddle, and a real pain in the @$$. Sometimes literally. It just sucks. But aside from the obvious physical challenges that injury causes, it can also be the source of some serious emotional and psychological trauma as well. And although we do our best to prevent injury during workouts  and give you functionality outside of the gym…odds are, at some point in your training (whether you run, CrossFit, do bootcamp, play recreational softball, etc.), it will happen to you. So what now? Here are 3 simple things you can do when you are facing an injury.

1. Listen. Listen to your body, listen to your coach, listen to your provider. If any or all of these people are telling you to rest and recover…rest and recover. You’ll live to lift another day – I promise. If your body is telling you it needs to rest your shoulder vs go for that snatch PR…rest your shoulder. If the coach is seeing you grimace as you pull that Rx weight on the deadlift and asks you to take some weight off…take some weight off. If you’ve seen a health care provider that has talked to you about your injury and suggested you make modifications or change up your workout plan…change it up. Bottom line is, NOT listening can worsen your injury and keep you out of the game for even longer. Don’t be that guy / girl. Drop your ego and listen.
2. Don’t stop moving. Unless your injury is so serious that you can’t get out of bed, you can still move. Even if it’s a few yoga poses first thing in the morning, pushups against the kitchen counter, or a walk around the block…move. Your body was created to be in motion. And if your injury is keeping you from working out like you are used to – or even moving very well – just do what you can. A little movement is better than no movement. Being sedentary will lead to even more problems: muscle stiffness, joint pain, altered muscles length, compensations…you get the idea. And if at all possible – keep working out! Shoulder injury? You can still squat! Even if it’s just your bodyweight! Knee injury? You can do seated overhead presses, leg lifts, Russian twists, bent rows. Back strain? Try the bike, do hip extensions vs deadlifts. Your coaches want to help keep you moving and can work around almost anything using modifications.
3. Stay positive. Dealing with an injury can be almost (or more) difficult mentally than physically at times. You feel deflated, defeated, discouraged. We’ve all been there. Sometimes it’s hard to see everyone just killing their workouts, getting PR’s, and you’re over there just modifying away! You’re happy for them…but it’s hard not to be frustrated / sad / mad for yourself. One of the best things you can do is to keep it in perspective. You won’t always have this injury to this degree. You’ll get better, you’ll move on. You’ll be BACK. And the more you listen, the more you keep moving, the more you stay positive, the sooner it will be.

Injuries can be tough. They hurt. They are frustrating. But they will get better. And until they do, our coaches are here for you! Not only can they help you with any modification you may need, but they can also be supportive and encouraging when you need it the most. If / when you deal with an injury, use it as an opportunity to rest and recover as needed, get stronger than you were before, and maybe even grow as a person. Hang in there. You’ve got this! And we’ve got your back!

Have you been side-lined by an injury but are ready to get back your health and fitness? Come in for a Free No Sweat Intro and talk to one of our knowledgeable coaches. We will talk about your injury as well as your goals. We will work together to make a plan to get you healthy. We prioritze safety at our box (so much so that many medical providers have actually chosen OUR gym to workout at over others), and look forward to working with you, your physician, physical therapist, chiropractor, etc to achieve your goals.

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