ADVICE ON TRAINING WHILE INJURED

Experts on lake rescues, the U.S. Coast Guard. Taken by PKSenagore July 2017. All rights reserved.

EARNED RUNS SUGGESTS AVOIDING DIY!  Are you looking for some general advice about training when you are nursing a minor injury? Marty Munson wrote an article, “Here’s How You Can Stay Fit When You Are Injured,” for Competitor.com that provides loose guidelines for runners in this condition who are no longer able to continue full force on a training plan.
 
He distinguishes the type of ‘rest’ that might be prescribed for recovery from complete rest. There are still opportunities to maintain cardiovascular fitness with activities that won’t aggravate the problem.
 
A physician or therapist ordered ‘rest’ period won’t seem so dire a situation for runners who have previously established cross training routines that involve other exercise modes. Martin stresses that alternate forms of aerobic exercise should be ‘linear’.  Movement in ‘linear’ activities will occur in a unidirectional manner, usually forward, in the swimming pool, on a cycle or elliptical machine, rather be multi-direction as with tennis, soccer, and other court or field sports.
 
Permission to continue running he says, should be not be taken as the go-ahead to resume full training. This is the section in which Martin provides the MOST IMPORTANT INSIGHT, in the opinion of Earned Runs. He indicates that an injury is most likely to have been caused by a biomechanical issue that might include poor form, a weakness, or an imbalance.  To resume running after the pain has subsided without correction of the underlying causative issue will ultimately lead to a relapse/recurrence. 
 
A physical therapist quoted in the article indicates that injured runners (walkers or fitness enthusiasts too) should find someone who can help identify and correct the biomechanical problem. The PT expert is not just looking for more business!  Best not to attempt to DIY in this situation. You may face additional months of rehab after wasting months on self-care.
 
What’s a good first step?  Earned Runs advises that you seek help from a medical professional with expertise, experience, or interest in the area of athletic injury. Physical therapy should be part of the care plan, and the PT should be geared toward resuming athletic activities not merely everyday tasks.
 
There are other bits of good advice in this article; it’s encouraging to those of us with injuries who hope to resume enjoying our sport without future injury.
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
http://running.competitor.com/2017/08/training/stay-fit-injured_166820​