Friday Myth-Buster!

Happy holiday Friday, everyone!

I had to remind myself that it was Friday today because I've been on a "stay-cation" since Wednesday, and boy am I enjoying myself. I went to the beach, got my first sunburn of the summer; cooked; worked out; did yoga; did some home improvement projects; relaxed; read, and tonight I'm off to see Once on Broadway! I'll be enjoying the long weekend plus a few extra days off next week, during which I plan to enjoy a couple culinary excursions to the outer boroughs; catch up with friends; and explore a new neighborhood or two. Ahh, stay-cations are the best!

It was soooo good!

For those of you who follow me on Twitter (those that don't: I know who you are, lol!), you might have seen my post about why weight-bearing activities for that injured body part must be integrated as part of a rehab program. Here's what I wrote:

Question: What kind of exercises should I be doing while recovering from reconstructive ankle/knee/hip surgery?

Answer: Do not put any pressure on the weakened area! Stay off your ankle/knee/hip as much as possible and focus on upper body and core exercises to maintain fitness.

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!!!!!!

Yes, this is a trick question, everyone! When recovering from an injury or even surgery, the idea that you should not be performing any sort of weight-bearing activity on or around the affected area is nonsense. An unused joint is an immobile joint is a joint ripe for re-injury. Your rehab program should include resistance exercises for the muscles and ligaments surrounding the joint to strengthen it and improve range of motion. A health joint is a strong, injury-proof (within reason) joint, and you do not achieve this by ignoring the injured area.

While I am by no means a medical professional/physical therapist/or other such practitioner, and therefore cannot diagnose a specific condition, I can speak from experience that the fastest way to re-injure one's self is to ignore the body part/joint/muscle/etc. that is recovering from injury. Of course, any rehab program must be carefully thought out, in consultation with a medical professional and/or personal trainer, and progressed modestly and cautiously: I am not advocating that a fresh hamstring pull is best treated by a regimen of weighted jump squats and lunges or incline sprints. HOWEVER, "laying off" an injured area will not strengthen it, just like sweeping a difficult issue under the rug in your romantic relationships will not make the issue go away. In many instances, it can even make it worse.

Bottom line: when injured and working on getting back to your 100%, consult with a trusted medical professional and/or personal trainer to develop a program that incorporates weight-bearing activities
for the injured area in a safe and progressive format, and be wary of anyone who advises you otherwise :-)

This book has great tips for injury prevention and
rehab techniques

ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND, everyone! xoxox