How do we go about training with pain or injury? We often over-complicate the process. There are only two things we can control in our body:
1. How well we prepare
2. How well we respond
If we look at diet as an example, we prepare the best we can by eating nutrient dense, well rounded, healthy meals. Most people know that we have a better chance for a healthy body the more regularly we prepare with healthy eating. When we have GI distress or heartburn or inflammation, we then need to make the necessary response by making certain accommodations (ie eliminating fatty, fried, processed foods if we get heartburn, taking some medicine).
With regards to injury, all we can do is prepare our body as best we can and, when a tissue fails (pain or a tear), shift our focus to recovery. TRAINING IS THE SOLUTION FOR BOTH. The better you prepare your body with strength training, joint mobility, cardiovascular health etc, the better prepared you are to avoid pain and injury. When we have pain or injury, we respond with an adjustment in our training, but rarely remove training altogether. We may lighten the weight, we may move through a partial range of motion instead of a full range, we may reduce the reps or sets. Rarely is absolute rest the correct response. Modification is typically much better for healing. Even acute or traumatic injuries need input and load (lower levels) in order to heal effectively.
We often spend too much time focusing on things outside of what we can actually control. Things like:
Our anatomy is at fault – “I have flat arches”, “I have one leg longer than the other”, “I have a back that is out of alignment”
Or
Our posture is at fault – “My head is too far forward”, “My back is too flat or too rounded”, “I sit the wrong way or I sleep the wrong way”
We have the power to make things move better and the power to make them stronger or more resilient. But we can’t change our anatomy (without surgery) and we can’t really make permanent changes to our posture, nor do we have to (I’ll post more on this later because I know this is a big and controversial topic). Spend more time preparing your body to move better and get stronger. Ultimately, those are the only things we can actually control day in and day out that can directly impact our likelihood for injury and our daily experience. Focus less of your attention on the flaws that we can’t change. It’s unproductive and inefficient. Create the best version of yourself in spite of the flaws you have. Don’t worry about what you cannot change. Life and pain alike become much simpler when we accept the fact that everyone has pain, and the best way to treat it is to prevent it as best as you can through good quality training. Let us help you to establish a healthy preventative program that will help you to move better and get stronger, the things you can actually change in your body.