I’ve got a niggling exercise injury, right now. Well, at the time of writing this!
My hip is playing up (an old injury). Self induced. I decided a few years ago at 53 it was a good time to master the splits! Hmmmm – wrong! It wasn’t! I’ve been paying the price ever since! Not sure whether it’s now morphed into a bit of arthritis or bursitis but it’s certainly made me slow down and reassess!
A wise Yoga Teacher told me you should treat an injury as a ‘gift’. It teaches you a lot about your body. And makes you have a good hard look at how you move and sit each day. She was right!
Exercise injuries in your 50’s
Part and parcel of training is you’re going to cop the odd niggling injury and a few aches and pains.
Sometimes it’s HOW you’re training. It could be a form or technique issue or even a particular exercise that’s not suited to your body anymore.
OR..is it how your moving or sitting each day?
You also get into certain ‘holding patterns’ with your body. These patterns have been engrained in you for years, through your work or even at home.
Perhaps in your job you’re doing lots of repetitive movements. These movements slowly aggravate different muscle groups over time.
OR you’re bent over a computer for most of the day. Your neck is at an awkward angle peering at the screen . Or you’ve started to become a sloucher!
It’s time to reassess your work area and get your computer and chair in the right position.
You probably know you should get up every 10 minutes and move around. But I know how hard that is when your creative juices are flowing!
OR perhaps you’re holding yourself too upright and you’re not relaxed in your body. I recognised this in myself recently (with advice from a good friend!) so I’m working on keeping more relaxed when I sit at the computer!
So should I workout if I have an injury?
Yes! You can still train around a niggling injury!
If it’s a hip thing, do an upper body-workout to give your hip a rest. If it’s a shoulder issue – do a lower-body workout.
And do the ‘ice pack’ – 20 mins on/20 mins off, 3 x per day.
If you’ve an injury – think outside the box – look at what you do each day. Could something you’re doing repetitively be the starting point for your injury?
It can be an ‘ah ha’ moment when you stop and really look at your sometimes ‘questionable’ movement and sitting patterns!
Take the time to let your injury heal and see it as a ‘gift’ – however annoying that might sound!