Your Injuries Don’t Define You

Oftentimes, when I consult with a prospective client, they’re afraid of their injuries.

And I can’t blame them. Injuries have probably derailed their progress in the past, or have caused them to stop exercising for a period of time.

Maybe at some point in their fitness journey, a doctor has told them they should stop doing certain exercises because of back, knee or shoulder injuries.

I’m here to share some good news: Your injuries do NOT define you.

They’re part of your anatomy, and we can’t ignore them. After all, the time machine is broken and not even the best coach in the world can un-tear your labrum or meniscus.

But injuries can and should be managed, and they do not need to hold you back from doing all the things you love to do.

As with anything else, focus on controlling the controllables.

Stress/Diet/Sleep: Unlike the damaged cartilage in your knee, you can control your stress, diet and sleep … all factors that have a massive impact on your physical and emotional health, not to mention your longevity. Simple changes to your diet (like eating lots of fruits and vegetables, incorporating lean protein and healthy fats, and supplementing where appropriate, can give you more energy for your workouts and help you recover better and faster. Healthy stress management practices, like mindful meditation, can reduce cortisol levels (the body’s “stress hormone”). And the holy grail of recovery – sleep – can keep you doing all the activities you want and need to do.

Functional Diagnosis: This includes things like joint mobility and soft tissue flexibility, and both can absolutely be improved with targeted and methodical corrective exercise. At Max Velocity, every workout includes A) a dynamic warmup designed to prepare the body to safely achieve foundational movement patterns like squatting, lunging, hinging, pushing and pulling; B) prehab exercises (designed to maintain joint health and tissue quality so we can avoid rehab; C) and targeted corrective exercises (so we can access the strength and stability we need to move safely in and out of the positions).

Having an injury history doesn’t mean you should stop working out or avoid certain exercises (unless, of course, the exercise causes acute pain, which I define as 5 or more on a scale of 1-10). With guidance from a qualified, experienced coach, you can continue doing all the things you love, want and need to do in order to improve your health, feel younger, and continue a healthy exercise program as you age.