Is on my foot. Aka, I apparently fractured my foot during indoor soccer practice about 2 months ago, finally got an x-ray of it, and am now sporting the sexiest piece of plastic I've ever had on my leg! Not counting my extra fragrant shinguards, of course.
The bad: Direct quote from the podiatrist: "No treadmills, cybex, elliptical, stationary bike, stairmaster, or arctrainer...I think I've about covered them all. I know how you people think."
Me: "You people?!" haha just kidding.
The good: I can still drive (it's my left foot that's out of commission), it's winter break, so I don't have to worry about trying to hobble to class and miss practices, and since it's winter, I won't even get any weird-ass tan lines! And best of all- I can still work out (it just has to be modified).
So that's how I'm gonna start off this post. No matter how much you stretch and strengthen, chances are, you'll get injured sometime. Even swimmers, who I thought would have the healthiest lifestyle ever, get shoulder injuries and muscle pulls. So what can you do about it?
1) See a doctor: This is probably the easiest thing in the world, but I'm always surprised at how many people don't do it. Be in touch with your body: if something feels wrong, check it out. I may not be the best example of this, since when I injured my foot, I went to the student health center and they told me nothing was wrong, so I just kept playing soccer and everything else despite the pain. My body was telling me: "Don't listen to the nurse! Something is messed up!" But because the nurse had dismissed it as a minor sprain, I didn't do anything. And guess what? my body was right. Get a second opinion if necessary, but ALWAYS always be in tune with what's going on inside.
2) Switch it up: The good thing about injuries, as opposed to being sick, is that you can usually find SOME way to work out. Even if it might not be ideal, many times injuries force you to work muscle groups that you'd normally ignore, or try out new forms of exercise that you've been missing. In my case, it's swimming. I've been wanting to be a better swimmer for a while now, but I was always making excuses to avoid the pool (I hate lap swimming). The good thing about my injury is that it forces me to just get my butt in the pool and do it.
3) Stay positive: I know this is very Oprah of me, but a positive attitude actually helps. There have been a bunch of scientific studies and articles on how maintaining a positive attitude can actually help you heal faster. You don't have to read motivational quote books: just do what works for you. Humor, meditation, watching "Friends" marathons...it's all good!
4) RICE: Rest, ice, compression, & elevation. I feel like I have to add this one in there just because. Of course, if your doctor tells you to do something different, make sure to listen to them.
5) Do something else: I know it's hard to believe (or at least, it is for me), but there are other things besides sports! I'm not kidding! So if you're sick, injured, or incapacitated for whatever reason - go check them out! Take an art class, learn how to cook, watch a movie, make a gingerbread house, practice your singing/accordion/keytar, read a book (or write a book for that matter), and if you're feeling REALLY ambitious: go do some homework. :)
6) Take it slow: Injuries are your body's way of saying: hold up, homeskillet! Ok, maybe not exactly that, but you know what I mean. You need to listen, and give yourself a little time off. And that includes after the cast / brace / whatever has come off. Don't just jump right back into things at full speed - chances are, you'll hurt yourself again. Instead, slowly build up to your previous level of activity. And learn from your mistakes: if tight muscles were what injured you, start stretching more. If you need a brace or arch support, get one before getting back to your routine. Soon enough, you'll be back and better than ever.
Be nice to your body and it will be nice to you!
-t
