for those of you that manage it, please share your secrets…
People stay injury free?
Nothing serious in several years now. Biggest difference for me was be consistent in training and as soon as I feel something other than normal soreness etc. I back off and may take a day or two off. I used to ‘train through it’ and get longer term pain that would linger and fester for up to several months. Now I miss a day or so, maybe three and then I am back to normal.
That’s certainly news to me. Haven’t seen it here.
Ric
Rest. A lot. And after at least a month off in the winter ease back into training.
Stretch.
Listen to my body.
1)warm up
2)cool down
3)stretch
4)RECOVERY
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I’m the exact opposite. If I take too much time off, i’m more apt to get hurt when i get back into training. Here is what has worked for me.
Lots and lots of stabilizing exercises for the legs, trunk (back and abs). I’ve got a list that lasts about 20 minutes that i do when i get up every morning. We do a very repetetive sport, try to get those muscles ready for it.
Eric
Healthy dose of common sense really: Pilates Regular trips to my chiropractor (who is also a physio and keen cyclist and is my one stop shop for all injuries or potential injuries) Listening to my body and skipping/changing/cutting short sessions when necessary (very rarely need to miss a session but do quite often end up swimming instead of running which is probably good as the swim’s my weakest leg) Planning my training so I don’t have any sudden ramp ups in either weekly volume or single workout length in each discipline Getting 5 portions of fruit and veg every day Glucosamine sulphate, multivitamins and cod liver oil (no idea if any of these work but seems sensible to cover all the bases) Not skimping on sleep to fit in more training
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Would you mind sharing your list? I have been looking at creating the same thing to do daily. Thanks!
I think for me staying injury free for the last 5 years the secret has been. Lots of training at aerobic pace, Distance vs speed. Lack of structured track workouts for speed work. I do tempo or steady state runs on the road or treadmill only. During Ironman training I use sprint or olympic distance races as speed work. Consistant weight training program. Also knowing your bodies signs and backing off when needed, as in taking a day off or making a scheduled hard day easy. I also think loving to train and having fun doing it plays a big part too. That’s a few that come to mind, I’m sure there are more.
I was doing well at this until I started kicking the soccer ball around with the kids… Now I have Platar Fasciitis.
My goal is to be racing when I’m well into my 70’s.
I have been injury free for the most part (This year being the exception due to crash).
I work hard at recovery (Nutrition & rest) & train smart.
If I feel something that might become an injury, I get it seen to before it gets worse.
I have a great chiro & massage therapist that find & solve issues before they become problems
I invest in a professional bike fit & great gear (shoes, etc.).
One thing I would highly recommend to to get a physio therapy assessment done. It took about an hour & I discovered imbalances I didn’t even know I had. I’m working on the over the winter to correct the imbalances & to help ensure I’m injury free for next season & many seasons to come.
- Sleep. At least 8 hours a night.
- Weekly sports massage, 1-1.5 hours. Not saying massage itself prevents injury, but having someone else go over your body and identifying tight/painful areas can’t be a bad thing.
- Daily stretching, 20-30’, including trigger point work and some yoga poses, depending on what I think needs work, so I stay attuned to what’s going on with my muscles and can hopefully correct something before it turns into something worse
- Run on a treadmill for 3-4 months out of the year. Corrects gait/postural imbalances from road running (prefer trails, but need to drive to them which takes too much time except for long runs).
- Core strengthening, to counteract stupid desk job where I spend lots of time sitting.
- Specific PT exercises twice weekly to make up for lack of ACL in left knee and to keep rotator cuff muscles extra strong.
- Use a coach, because otherwise I would completely blow myself up.
- Go easy when I am supposed to, especially running (treadmill helps me do that, too).
- Do drill work every time I swim, since a) I’m not that good and b) the better my technique gets, allegedly the lower the chances of injury from a crappy stroke.
- Always give myself the option to lower the intensity or shorten the workout if I don’t feel recovered enough to execute it properly.
thanks for your tips
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“People stay injury-free?”
well, in theory.
Thanks to all who have replied so far - good lists!
Listening to yourself
Stretching after exercise
Sleep
minimizing in-balances
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- Supplements: Zyflamend for its anti-inflammatory; Gluco-Chond
- Good Food: Salads, oatmeal, water, avoid caffeine, etc.
- Chiropractic: Regular adjustments…frequency of every eight weeks.
- Massage: once a month
- Stetching: Trigger Point Technologies gadgets, generalized stretching; 3-4x/wk
- Appropriate training: Knowing when to back off.
Make sure your body is warm before you do this…not “Straight” out of bed, but you know…
- balance exericse-stand on one leg (hopefully on a bosu ball, or some type of apparatus that makes it harder)
- quad balance (get in a lunge position, but this time, put your front foot on that same balance apparatus
- band exercises (front, left and right resistance) Put the band on your foot and push each direction
4.hip walks-with your arms above your head, and while on your back, walk your hips up and down towards your ears, one at a time. - pelvic lifts- on your back, legs bent, lift your pelvis towards the sky
6.calf raises-body weight raises, hopefully, with a little step to acheieve some downward stretch (controlled, not hanging) - Fire hydrants-on hands and knees, have one leg extended fully back and pull out to the side with bent knee and make as big of sweeping motion as possible (looking like a dog peeing on a hydrant) and back to normal position.
- on hands and knees, point one leg out to side (directly to side) and with heel slightly pointed up, lift your leg (focus on hip)
- march on ball (with shoulders on theraball), have pelvis up and lift one leg up and then the other.
- leg lift on ball- with shoulders onthe ground and heels digging into the ball, lift one leg up at a time. Lift your pelvis
- Indo board- I roll on this for a minute or two
- roll out feet
- stretch calves on incline block
- stretch hamstrings with stretch-rite (or towel)
- stretch hips in a extended lunge position, but with back knee on ground and extended
- stretch quads (with opposite and on arm)
- stretch back
- roll out legs with foam roller
There’s my new list. it changes based on how i’m feeling.
Eric
One book is all you need to know: The Pain-Free Triathlete.
I’ve used it for a few years now, and it’s been a lifesaver. Any time I even start to feel a pain or problem, I immediately address it, per the book. The last section of the book has a bunch of “trigger point charts” of the human body, basically explaining where the likely cause of any given pain actually is located. Then you address it with self massage and stretching. It’s worked like a charm for me, my wife, and several of our friends. Can’t recommend it highly enough.
It’s available on Amazon, but it’s expensive there. Go straight to their web site: http://www.julstro.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=38
And no, I’m not affiliated with the Julstro folks in any way. Just very happy to be running injury free for nearly three years.
I find myself injury free during two periods: Doing nothing and doing everything. Run focus periods kill me (I’m limping into a marathon tomorrow), swim focus periods irritate my shoulder joint & bike focus periods tweak my back (I only ride a tri bike, fairly steep.)
The longest period of time I went injury free was in training & racing IMFL last year. Balance and gradual increases were the key IMO.