Wow. It has been almost 3 months since I've shown my "face" here! Life has been kind of crazy lately. Instead of wasting your time and boring you by giving an update on "What I've been up to". I'm cutting straight to the chase!
Today we're talking about injuries! Last time you heard from me, I was preparing for a training weekend to become certified as a fitness instructor.
Well I did it, and it went great! I passed. Bad part? I got injured! Injured to the point where I limped for 3 weeks, couldn't run for 2 months, and couldn't even wakeboard when we visited the lakes with my family over the 4th of July. Very sad times.
But I learned something. Just because one is young. Just because one is in great shape. Just because one has never had a serious ache or pain in their life......Does not mean one cannot be injured.
How did it happen? I over pushed it. Too many plyometric lunges, too many jumps, too many sprints. Two 8 hour days of exercise without taking the time to stretch and take care of my body -- my feet got fatigued and I sprained my right foot, badly.
Since the time of the injury -- I've put great focus on "foot health". I'm on my feet for 3-4 12 hour days working in the ER.In between that I run, I teach body attack classes, and, well, I just don't like to sit down. So here are a few exercises I challenge you to start doing.
1) Toe Grip (this will strengthen your arches & toes) - Place a sock on the floor, using your toes, pick it up and hold for 10 seconds and set it down. Repeat 10 times.
2) Toe Extension (this is bone density for those small bones in your feet) - Open your toes outward, hold five seconds, relax. repeat 10 times.
3) Calf Raise (this gets your feet strong, your calves strong, and works balance) - Standing on one foot, raise onto your tippy toes, hold for 10 seconds, Relax. Do 5 on each leg.
4) Golf Ball massage - Roll your arches and balls our of feet out on a golf ball on the floor. It's like a foot massage!
Beyond healthy exercises, a few other things I've done to prevent injury and make my feet happy I have:
-Bought separate shoes for cross training from running. I only teach body attack in my body attack shoes, and I only run in my running shoes. Different shoes are designed for different exercises!
-Don't let shoes get too old.
-I bought some Dansko shoes for work. They look like orthopedic nun clogs. They are rubber, and have a cloggish looking heel. However, they support my back and feet for those 12 hour days!
-Only wear those stilletto high heels when absolutely neccessary. High heels are bad.Enough said.
- Calcium 500 + D with Magnesium is my daily dose. There are other health benefits I've found since I've added that to my diet, that showed me how depleted I was in calcium.
Remember...
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go. - Dr Seuss
Today we're talking about injuries! Last time you heard from me, I was preparing for a training weekend to become certified as a fitness instructor.
Well I did it, and it went great! I passed. Bad part? I got injured! Injured to the point where I limped for 3 weeks, couldn't run for 2 months, and couldn't even wakeboard when we visited the lakes with my family over the 4th of July. Very sad times.
But I learned something. Just because one is young. Just because one is in great shape. Just because one has never had a serious ache or pain in their life......Does not mean one cannot be injured.
How did it happen? I over pushed it. Too many plyometric lunges, too many jumps, too many sprints. Two 8 hour days of exercise without taking the time to stretch and take care of my body -- my feet got fatigued and I sprained my right foot, badly.
Since the time of the injury -- I've put great focus on "foot health". I'm on my feet for 3-4 12 hour days working in the ER.In between that I run, I teach body attack classes, and, well, I just don't like to sit down. So here are a few exercises I challenge you to start doing.
1) Toe Grip (this will strengthen your arches & toes) - Place a sock on the floor, using your toes, pick it up and hold for 10 seconds and set it down. Repeat 10 times.
2) Toe Extension (this is bone density for those small bones in your feet) - Open your toes outward, hold five seconds, relax. repeat 10 times.
3) Calf Raise (this gets your feet strong, your calves strong, and works balance) - Standing on one foot, raise onto your tippy toes, hold for 10 seconds, Relax. Do 5 on each leg.
4) Golf Ball massage - Roll your arches and balls our of feet out on a golf ball on the floor. It's like a foot massage!
Beyond healthy exercises, a few other things I've done to prevent injury and make my feet happy I have:
-Bought separate shoes for cross training from running. I only teach body attack in my body attack shoes, and I only run in my running shoes. Different shoes are designed for different exercises!
-Don't let shoes get too old.
-I bought some Dansko shoes for work. They look like orthopedic nun clogs. They are rubber, and have a cloggish looking heel. However, they support my back and feet for those 12 hour days!
-Only wear those stilletto high heels when absolutely neccessary. High heels are bad.Enough said.
- Calcium 500 + D with Magnesium is my daily dose. There are other health benefits I've found since I've added that to my diet, that showed me how depleted I was in calcium.
Remember...
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go. - Dr Seuss
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