{"id":34308,"date":"2013-12-24T05:56:19","date_gmt":"2013-12-24T05:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=34308"},"modified":"2017-04-27T08:26:33","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T13:26:33","slug":"dont-let-get","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/dont-let-get\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Let It Get You Down"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"sprain\"<\/a>Whether you\u2019re a moderate walker or a high intensity exerciser, there is no doubt that if you have been exercising long enough you have encountered some type of injury. Sometimes, it can be a mild injury like a slightly twisted ankle or a slight muscle strain just about anywhere, or occasionally it can be something more serious. Often, a proactive approach can cut your down time from exercise by days or weeks.\u00a0 But if you\u2019ve had this experience, you know it can cause depressive feelings and often is the trigger for giving up something extremely vital to your health and wellbeing. As a trainer, I\u2019ve seen too many people stop exercising altogether because of an injury.<\/p>\n

Soft tissue injuries include damage of muscles, ligaments, and tendons throughout the body. Common\u00a0soft tissue\u00a0injuries usually occur from a\u00a0sprain,\u00a0strain, a one off blow resulting in a\u00a0contusion\u00a0or overuse of a particular part of the body. Soft tissue injuries can result in\u00a0pain,\u00a0swelling,\u00a0bruising\u00a0or loss of function. If you have this type of injury, apply ice right away and put into play a procedure called RICE.\u00a0 RICE is an acronym for R<\/i><\/b>est, I<\/i><\/b>ce, C<\/i><\/b>ompression and E<\/i><\/b>levation.<\/p>\n

RICE<\/i><\/b> can relieve pain, limit swelling and protect injured tissue – all of which help speed the healing process. Healing occurs as damaged tissue is replaced by collagen known as scar tissue<\/i>. When scar tissue completes its repair on the injured area, one can go back to a full workout. Let\u2019s take a closer look at how to implement the RICE procedure.<\/p>\n

Rest<\/i><\/b>:\u00a0 <\/b>Rest is an integral part of the injury rehabilitation process for two reasons. First, rest protects the injured muscle, tendon, ligament or other soft tissue from further injury. Second, a rested limb has the energy necessary to heal itself most effectively. It should be noted that while resting the injured portion of your body is important, it doesn\u2019t mean you need to stop working out all together. There are exercises you can do during the healing process to help keep yourself in shape.<\/p>\n

Ice:<\/i><\/b>\u00a0 <\/b>You can use ice packs, bags of ice, or bags of frozen vegetables wrapped in a thin towel. Make sure the towel isn\u2019t too thick so the treatment will be more effective. Cold brings short-term pain relief and reduces swelling by constricting the blood vessels and, in turn, blood-flow into the area. NEVER LEAVE ICE ON AN INJURY FOR MORE THAN 20 MINUTES.<\/b> Long-term exposure to cold can cause damage to your skin. The best rule is to ice for 15 minutes, leave 15-20 minutes without ice and then repeat the treatment. After the ice is taken off the injury, vasodilatation occurs, meaning the blood vessels expand and bring in much-needed nutrients to the area.<\/p>\n

Compression:<\/i><\/b>\u00a0 <\/b>Compressions is another way to curb swelling. This is important, as swelling impedes the healing process. Compression also reduces pain in some cases. The best way to compress an injury is to wrap it with an ace bandage. I advise wrapping an ice pack under the bandage when the injury first occurs. If you feel throbbing, rewrap the area with slightly less tension on the ace bandage.<\/p>\n

Elevation: <\/i><\/b>Elevating the injury is an additional way to bring down swelling. Keep the elevation at the same level as your heart.<\/p>\n

If you have a slight twist or bruise, the odds are good that in the next day or two you will feel significant relief.\u00a0 However, if you suspect something more serious (extreme pain or malformation of the area), seek professional help from a doctor who has a good understanding of orthopedics.<\/p>\n

People often assume that they have to stop exercising as soon as there is some type of injury.\u00a0 This is usually a big mistake.\u00a0 If you are injured, the injured area very well may need to be rested.\u00a0 But with some creativity we can come up with alternative methods of exercise instead of compromising our health entirely.\u00a0 An example might be something that happened to me many years ago.\u00a0 One Friday, after 65 minutes of running, I was doing a sprint and hit a pothole in the street, inverting my ankle.\u00a0 I had a severe sprain.\u00a0 I began icing and taking anti-inflammatory medication immediately but I had extreme swelling in the area and couldn\u2019t put weight on it at all.\u00a0 I had to use crutches for a few days and it was a full five weeks before I could even begin lightly jogging again.\u00a0 Even walking was a big challenge. I could have decided to just to wait it out which would have cost my cardiovascular health and my muscle building.\u00a0 It would have also slowed down my metabolism over the five weeks.\u00a0 Instead, I used an exercise bike and kept my foot and ankle straight so I was able to work out my entire upper body.\u00a0 Recently, a client of mine developed a rare problem with the sheath in her foot.\u00a0 So instead of walking, she is using exercise videos at home for alternative aerobic exercise using exercises in the seated position and against the chair.\u00a0 THERE IS ALMOST ALWAYS A SOLUTION. One of the great things about exercise is that there are many ways to build certain muscle groups and many options to get a cardio workout.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let an injury turn into an excuse not to exercise.\u00a0 You will probably have to make some changes in your routine, but don\u2019t give up on it altogether.\u00a0 And guess what?\u00a0 There is even research that tells us that people who can stay will heal faster!<\/p>\n

So remember- most injuries from exercise are minor and using the RICE protocol mentioned above usually does the trick.\u00a0 But if it\u2019s more serious than a minor soft tissue injury, seek proper medical attention.\u00a0 <\/b>In most cases though, find an alternative way to work out that works for you.<\/p>\n

Be careful coming back from injuries and err on the side of caution.\u00a0 Proceed slowly and carefully in your rehabilitiation.<\/p>\n

Working your way through an injury without giving up exercise entirely will \u201cadd hours to your day, days to your year, and years to your life.\u201d<\/i><\/b> \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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\"image\"<\/p>\n

Alan Freishtat<\/strong> is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a BEHAVIORAL CHANGE and WELLNESS COACH with over 19 years of professional experience. Alan is the creator and director of the \u201c10 Weeks to Health\u201d program for weight loss. He is available for private coaching sessions, consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs both in his office and by telephone and skype. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at\u00a002-651-8502<\/a> or 050-555-7175<\/a>, or by email at\u00a0alan@alanfitness.com<\/a> Check out the his web site \u2013www.alanfitness.com<\/a> US Line: 516-568-5027<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Whether you\u2019re a moderate walker or a high intensity exerciser, there is no doubt that if you have been exercising long enough you have encountered some type of injury. 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