INJURY AWARENESS and PREVENTION
Many of us spend long periods of time in a chair, at a desk or in front of a computer. This unnatural position, maintained so long and so frequently, can be hard on the body. Most desk workers don’t have the luxury of the most ergonomically designed workstations. Or what about the hairdresser, massage therapist or waitress that stands all day, often in uncomfortable shoes. And so over time, we develop aches and pains and strains that come on slowly and barely noticeable at first. It’s easy to get used to the mildly annoying pain. But then, you may come in for a workout that happens to hit that stressed and inflamed area of your body and now the pain is demanding your full attention. Here’s where we make an important distinction – you did not get injured at CrossFit doing a deadlift, you injured your back during the last 4 years of desk life in the poorly designed chair and when you attempted a deadlift, your body was unable to do the movement without pain because of tight hamstrings and lower back.
There are so many things throughout the day (and night!) that we do without thinking that cause injury, reduces our range of motion or impacts our alignment. Do you carry a heavy handbag, always on one side of your body? Do you often sit with a thick wallet in your pocket? Do you stand for long periods of time, perched on one foot or the other? Do you watch television on a soft, comfy sofa? Do you sleep on a pillow that doesn’t support your neck in a neutral position? These small, seemingly inconsequential actions, when done repeatedly over a period of time, can cause pain and inflammation, misalignment and reduced range of motion. You may not notice it until you add additional weight or intensity during a WOD. Again, this doesn’t nessisarily mean you got injured doing CrossFit. It means your body is sending you a message – something isn’t right.
When pain brings an injury to your attention, the obvious action is to stop doing what caused the pain. But if you don’t address the underlying cause of the pain, you might find yourself with a chronic, nagging issue that continues to impact your performance (and how you feel about your workouts – pain is no fun!) and your life.
So, when you find yourself with an injury, here are a few things you can do…
- talk to a trainer and explain what is going on
- rather than skipping out for a few days, ask for modifications
- do a little investigation work. what else could be contributing to the pain?
- make adjustments to obvious things that might be affecting your alignment or range of motion
- pay as much attention to your recovery activities as you do your workouts: nutrition, sleep, rest, mobility work and stretching, icing and fish oil!
- enlist the help of a professional – talk to Chris and Danielle who can provide you with a recommendation based on your needs or we can refer you to a wonderful specialist!
Of course, as in any physical activity, there is risk of injury during your workout. You’re at risk of injury just walking down the street if you aren’t paying attention (don’t text and walk at the same time!). Introduce heavy weights and intensity to the scenario and you need to take a few extra steps to stay safe. There are a few things you can do to prevent injuries in the box.
- PAY ATTENTION – Be aware of your surroundings. Don’t walk directly in front of the big, tired, sweaty guy swinging a 70 lb kettlebell. Don’t drop your bar and let in bounce into your neighbor. Don’t put equipment down where you or someone else will trip over it mid-WOD.
- LISTEN TO YOUR TRAINERS – Everyday, they are explaining good form, instructions for the workout and tips. They are constantly providing information that is important for your performance and safety.
- GET ORGANIZED & STAY ORGANIZED – Prepare for the lift before you approach the bar. Keep good form when you put weights down.
- GOOD FORM IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ADDING WEIGHT – Maintain your form when the weight gets heavy.
Injury prevention is everyone’s responsibility. A little extra care goes a long way – and no one likes being sidelined with an injury.
WOD: Team WOD
50 jumping squats
40 walking lunges
30 kbs
20 toes to bar
10 calories on rower
Member 1 begins with squats, Member 2 starts with squats after person 1 is done with squats…memeber three starts with squats when member 2 is done…and so on down the line, each team member can’t move on to the next task until the person in front of them is done with their task
