We've all had it before. You start the warmup and you feel a pinching pain. You grab, rub and decide to continue with the warmup. Slowly the pain goes away, but the next day the pain is there again. What to do?
“ Go see a doctor or specialist.”
First you have to figure out what causes the pain. Does it hurt when doing a certain movement? Or does it hurt when not moving at all? Maybe it wakes you up in the middle of the night or you can’t even sleep because of it. Is the pain getting worse or is it the same all the time. It is really important to share this information with your coach. Verbally! A coach can’t tell by looking at you if you are ok. Remember, during a class, we see a lot of funny faces, and almost everyone is experiencing some sort of pain. It is ok to ask for a scaling option if you are hurting, thats why we are there.
Now it is also important to realize coaches are not doctors. Coaches can help you to get the best workouts possible for the best results. Only a doctor can give you a diagnose. That’s why we always tell people: “ Go see a doctor or specialist.”
So you’ve been to the doctor or specialist and they told you to take it easy for a while. What to do next? Go back to your coach, communicate, keep training and listen to your body. If certain movements hurt, don’t do them. Remember, during a class we tell people to do certain movements, but it is up to you to do them or not. If you’re not sure, ask.
During our annual Club Games we were lucky enough to have Daan en Louis over from Bodyexperts. These guys are well equipped to take care of you when you are injured. Make sure to ask for them by name, cause they are highly recommended.
Put your ego to the side and scale
Sometimes an injury is there to stay. In my case a jumpers knee. It is the same knee I had surgery on 10 years ago and it will always be a problem. I have good days and bad days. I know when I’m having a bad day and it is up to me what to do with it. Put your ego to the side and scale. Sometimes during a workout it just pops up and I make the decision to scale on the spot. You have to make it work!
Now as strange as it may sound, injury can also be an opportunity. To focus on movements we are not fond of. Make it your new goal to destroy that airbike or start your new handstand walk adventure. Whatever you do, you have to set yourself a new goal, and crush it.