Good morning,
If you missed yesterday’s message, you can find it here. But long story short, even though as coaches we are there to minimize the risk of injury, there are some times when you tweak a specific body part. Yesterday we talked about how to train around your knees. If you have a wrist issue and was told to not exercise so that it can heal, this message is for you. If you are feeling restless because all you want to do is move and get your heart rate up, there is a way without making things worse.
The wrist is interesting because it does not consist of only one joint. In fact, the wrist actually consists of three joints, the radiocarpal, ulnarcarpal, and the distal radioulnar joint. That means that there are three common areas that can get irritated and injured. The treatment for wrist sprains/strains and other injuries is usually physical therapy, activity modification and most often ‘rest’.
The good news is that you not only have another arm, but you also have two legs, a core, and a heart to train. Here are my action steps for you to take when you are sidelined by a wrist injury:
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Figure out which motions cause the most pain. Once you identify these, they should be avoided for NOW. Every time you irritate your wrist, consider it as a way to slow down healing. You probably will return to that specific motion, but let’s hold off on it for the time being, until cleared by your doctor or physical therapist.
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Work on building the strength in your other arm. In fact, science has shown that if you train the opposite limb while injured, there is also an increase in strength/function in the affected side. Bicep curls all day!
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Work on your legs. Lower body training is going to be perfect for you because it is mostly a full body workout and you will get the most impact for the time spent on these workouts. Try out squats, lunges, deadlifts (if your wrist is ok holding onto an object). Getting a pump in your legs will also help out with managing the inflammation which could also reduce your pain. Make sure that you tell your coach/trainer of your wrist injury so that they can help you with a more appropriate workout.
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Get your heart rate up. There are many ways to do so. The easiest and cheapest way is going for a walk for 30 minutes or my favorite, going up and down stairs for 20 minutes. This will protect you cardiovascular system and help manage inflammation. There are many other ways to get your heart rate up with the supervision of an experienced coach.
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Eat veggies, lean proteins, and minimize processed foods. With the proper nutrition plan, you can actually accelerate healing while also staying on track with your fitness routine. This often gets overlooked.
You are more than just your injury and if you have a specific fitness/health goal in mind, you don’t have to be sidelined. The team at Hudson River Fitness is here to help you accomplish these goals by meeting you at your current activity level. If you want to get started on your journey ASAP click here to book your no sweat intro today.
But if you want to give yourself another few weeks before you get back into the groove, totally understandable. You aren’t alone in this journey. In fact, we are launching our couch to fitness program in September. This program is specifically for those people who are interested in starting a program but are coming off of an injury. If that is you and you want to hear more, just reply “I’m in”.
Have a great day,
Ashley
*The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in the information provided nor will the owner be liable for any accidents, injuries or other damage, howsoever occurring to any person or property arising out of or in any way connected to the use or application of information obtained from this message.
