injury details – when and when not to train
Injury Guidelines.
I want to look at three topics in this article.
- When and when not to train with an injury.
- Should you use anti-inflammatories?
- What to do after an injury develops.
When and when not to train with an injury.
The first goal of training needs to be that you build up your body quicker than training breaks it down. It’s what makes proper rest so vital. Having said this, there are times when all of us train too hard, and the body breaks down more quickly than it can repair during rest. Should you be injured, you need to know if you should continue training. Here are some guidelines:
- If, on a scale of 1-10, your pain is between 0-3, train, but cut back on mileage and speed.
- Stop training if you end up limping or not being to move an area of your body without pain after your workout.
- Make sure that your long training session is not more than half of your regular weekly mileage total.
Should you use anti-inflammatories?
The more technical term for anti-inflammatories is, “Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories” or NSAIDS. You doctor needs to have first say in this decision, however, there are a number of factors that are changing the way NSAIDS are used. Here are some of the factors:
- The use of them might get you back into training a bit faster, however the actual recovery time might take longer.
- There is growing evidence that NSAID’s might delay the healing of bone injuries.
- The NSAIDs are often combined with pain killers that both reduce inflammation and also mask pain. In car terms this is similar to placing a bandage over an oil warning light. Your body uses inflammation and pain to communicate to you that something is wrong.
So what can you do when an injury develops?
- Decrease your training but only exercise if you can do so without pain. We want to keep you moving, but responsibly.
- Do some cross training. Hop into the pool, climb onto an orbital, do some weights, get onto a bike. Doing exercises that are not weight bearing help the injured site rest whilst keeping the cardio vascular system going.
- Up your Omega 3 fatty acids. These oils are nature’s natural anti-inflammatories.
- Get more sleep.
- Get some soft tissue release on the area. Trigger points form in damaged muscles when they incorrectly realign themselves. Soft tissue release will help them mend properly. I can assist in this area.
- Get some kinesiology tape applied.
- Work out why you got injured in the first place. That’s where our leg assessment and bike setup program comes in. The quicker you address the cause, the quicker you will recover. Albert Einstein gave this definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
- Runners, take a look at https://sbrsport.me/2012/09/15/runners-leg-assessment/
- Cyclists, take a look at https://sbrsport.me/2012/07/14/our-approach-to-bike-setup/
Regards,
Mike Roscoe.
