Now, of course before being
reactive, we all should be proactive, by practicing proper recovery mechanisms such as:-
Stretching daily
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Prioritizing sleep
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Eating proper nutrition
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Consuming adequate water
Full disclosure: while there is some PAIN involved in the pursuit of CrossFit, the pain from intensity is the burning you feel in your lungs and muscles as you attack your workouts – this sort of pain is OK. However, if something feels like it’s going to pop or tear; it is most likely about to do just that – this sort of pain is NOT OK. So, make sure you know and can identify the difference between “good” pain (helping challenge the body to adapt) and “bad” pain (mechanical destruction where training cannot continue).
In most cases injuries ARE preventable. Proper recovery mechanisms and progressions ensure that you are giving your body time to heal and that you are not overloading your body when it is ill-prepared, respectively. When we workout, we tear our muscle fibers (leading to the soreness we feel day(s) afterwards), which means that if we want them to perform again, stronger than before, we must give them time to heal. If instead we continually neglect proper recovery, the risk for greater tears and other injuries (through compensation or over-loading) increases. The key is to know and listen to your body – if you think the weight is too heavy, it probably is, or if you think you’re in pain, you probably are.
Now let’s suppose that you thought you were recovering well and using the proper progressions, but were still faced with an injury or were left dealing with a pain that just wouldn’t go away. In most cases,
- Resting the body part that hurts (exact duration will depend on the pain rating)
- Stretching the muscles around it
- Icing to reduce inflammation
While injuries can be discouraging and depressing (that is normal!), they can also be a great opportunity to work on other, possibly greater weaknesses. For instance, if you have an ankle sprain, spend your time on the pull-up bar and/or inverted working your upper body strength and gymnastics game. Stay positive and focus on what you CAN do!
- Listen to your body and stop doing whatever is causing you to feel pain
- Give the muscle the proper amount of rest to recover and ease back into things when you are ready
- Seek professional help if there is no improvement
If you’re ever unsure of what to do in this situation, come talk to one of the coaches & we will work together to help come up with the best solution for you!
