Hurts So Bad
Filed Under Fitmom Wellness |
You are just getting back into your fitness routine and are starting to feel great when you are sidelined by an injury. You want to scream your head off and are panicking that all your hard work over the last few months is going to go out the window.
Try not to have a major meltdown because that stress will lead you to likely do one of two unproductive things: a) “work through the pain”, further injuring yourself or b) head to the fridge for some comfort food, making you feel even worse.
I recently tore my rotator cuff climbing a tree to show off to my boys. That’s a pretty significant injury and even more of a problem for someone in my line of work so I sympathize with your frustration. With most injuries (consult your doctor) you can still do some activity to keep yourself feeling and looking good. For example, with my shoulder injury, push-ups are out, but lunges are not.
One of the most common injuries for women postpartum is carpal tunnel syndrome and the symptomatic wrist pain which can debilitate new moms. Avoid doing activities that bend the wrist at all. You can get modifications for a lot of activities. Also, buy yourself a sling or a hip carrier to help ease the strain on your wrist for the hours a day you carry your baby on your hip. This is part and parcel of your best plan, which is of course to avoid injury (and climbing trees).
Your body changes during pregnancy. Joints loosen and body alignment shifts. Things take some time to get back into place. You should exercise accordingly. Runners should use the run-walk system for at least the first four months postpartum while joints are still loose from relaxin release during pregnancy. This will reduce the impact on these vulnerable joints.
And the last word on this topic for now: Mommy needs a new pair of shoes. Invest in some well-fitting, new and appropriate shoes for exercise.
Cheers,
Andrea Page
