Working Through Injuries
One of the most disheartening aspects of working out is when you end up with an injury. Often this is because you’ve pushed yourself too hard while working out and now you are limited in what you can do. The temptation to not work out at all may be present, as could be the frustration associated with not be able to work out or the feeling that your progress is being hampered.
Last year I injured my left wrist, which prevented me from doing any arm curls or motions in which my wrist wasn’t straight. It took several months to heal, and now almost a year and a half later, there are still some movements which cause mild pain. I worked through this injury by focusing my upper body work outs on abs, shoulders and pushing exercises with lighter weights. Over time, I was able to ramp up to heavier weights while incorporating more pulling and curling. In retrospect, I doubt that I lost much while rehabbing the wrist, though the process was discouraging.
Two months ago I overdid some leg presses and triggered a flare up on an old lower back injury. Unlike my wrist injury, for which I realized what I had done immediately and obviously, this was a stealth injury. Several hours after completing my workout, my back began slowly nagging me. Within a day or so, simple motions like standing up and sitting down needed assistance from my arms. In this case, I took a couple of days off from jogging and lifting, then slowly got back into with low impact lifting and short runs. Within two weeks I was at about 90%. As a general rule, you can easily use your abs and back in almost any exercise without realizing it and this can lead to mystery injuries where you are never quite sure what caused the problem.
Unlike the previous two injuries, a hip injury I suffered two years ago completely prevented me from running. Walking did not bother me but running did. I had to take several months off from running and did not do any weights with my legs as well. Slowly I returned to jogging and then running though some residual discomfort lasted over a year.
The message here is not to let an injury stop you from exercising unless there is no other choice. Do what you can. Do a limited workout focused on non-injured muscle groups. Use lighter weights, less impact and shorter distances. Work your way back to full strength. Don’t lose your workout momentum or routine.
As for preventing injuries, this is something I’d love to get better at. However, when you push yourself to the limit to maximize your gains, you become more prone to injury. It’s a delicate balance.