Whenever we ask a new client about their history, or someone we just met at the gym about what they do to stay in shape, it’s almost certain they will mention an injury, a chronic pain or a lack of mobility they are or have been dealing with. That being said, it’s a simple fact of life that injuries and pain will occur for everyone at some point. But just like you can make positive steps to improve your health and strength, you can work towards reducing and eliminating these issues. If you’re reading this and you’re experiencing these issues, ask yourself, “Am I doing everything I can to fix this?”. For 95% of you, the answer in your head is probably “no”. Which leads us to your first step.
1. LACK OF PAIN
Most people simply fail to do this part and it is probably the one that will yield you the best results. When you want to have amazing workouts or eat the most optimally for your health, you will most likely be following a plan. Just with rehabilitation, it works wonders if you give yourself a mini-program to do each and everyday. It can be done before and after workouts or simply any point in the day that will allow you to stay consistent and follow through. Finding about 2 exercises and stretches for up to 2 issues per day is ideal. If you have more than 2 issues, pick the 2 you’d like to fix the most, as this doesn’t create such a long addition to your day. Keeping it about 5-10 minutes each day is perfect. If you notice that the exercises and stretches you’re doing aren’t getting any better after about a week, look for 2 more stretches and repeat! A personal trainer or physiotherapist can set you up with these exercises to follow.
2. GET DIAGNOSED
Of course, it’s important to know what you’re dealing with. If you have a sudden injury occur, I recommend going right to a physiotherapist to get it checked out as soon as possible. One of the best things that people don’t mention about this part is it provides you with peace of mind. You can usually find out the severity and healing time of the injury within your first visit and get you on track to a proper recovery. After each physiotherapy visit, you will most likely notice a ton of stress off your shoulders.
3. HAVE SOMEBODY REVIEW YOUR MOVEMENT AND EXERCISES
My father has always been into fitness. He’s always taken care of his body with cardio, lifting weights and eating healthy. Within the last year or so he started to really complain about his shoulder constantly bugging him. When I flew back for the holidays, I went through a workout with him. I noticed almost immediately he was bench pressing with one elbow way too high. I showed him how to adjust it and he couldn’t believe that the pain was gone from that very moment. Even with his years of experience, he was committing faulty movement patterns without realizing it. Having a certified personal trainer guiding you through your exercises will notice anything that should be adjusted. Even if you don’t notice the pain now, you may be moving in a way that wears your joints and body down way faster then it should.
Hopefully these give you an idea about how to get rid of pain you deal with throughout your day. If you want help implementing these steps, send us a message and we’d be happy to assist you with becoming pain free!
Kevin Lavers, Vancouver Personal Trainer at TurnFit
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