Ouch! That Hurt!

Two weeks ago I did a killer Deadlift workout and got really sore. The DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) were really bad and inhibited me all week. That weekend, I tried foam rolling my back to loosen things up, as I had to go out of town on business the next day. Well, wouldn’t you know, I become one of the only people to make things worse by trying to make them better. After rolling out my back for bit I decided to roll onto my side and hit my lats. What followed was excruciating pain and one really bad business trip.

I popped some cartilage between my ribs. This left me unable to walk at all Sunday night and making my way through the airport like a 90 year old on Monday. I could not take a deep breath or twist my torso. You can imagine the fun of flying and renting a car. But I made it and got back to see the doctor. The solution......Time and rest.

Waiting out an injury is one of the hardest things an active person can do. I so wanted to just pick back up with my routine. I missed working out with my husband and all my gym friends. I could feel my entire body turning back into the soft goo it used to be before I started lifting. I practically had a panic attack just thinking about losing my progress. I really missed just being able to get up off the couch without pain. But, sometimes there is no magic cure or pill you can take to get better.

I went to the gym and just did little things. If there was any pain, I stopped. I trained around the worst of my injury. The main thing was to keep moving. Our bodies are not made to just be still. You can actually heal better if you are not immobile. This is a great article by Eric Cressey, who is one of the best trainers around, on why you should keep moving. When Did Just Rest Become a Viable Recommendation?

The money line is this: “When a healthcare practitioner says it [it meaning complete rest], it's because he/she either a) doesn't have the time, intelligence, or network to be able to set you up for a situation where you can benefit from exercise or b) doesn't think you have enough self control to approach exercise in a fashion that doesn't make it more harm than good.”

So don’t let an injury keep you on the couch or use it as an excuse to just sit around. There is always a way to work around the injury. Blood flow to the injury can actually help it heal. So do the best you can and keep moving!  You will be glad you did.