A great article from Tosca Reno - author of The Eat Clean Diet

Listen To Your Body

Sometimes I forget I live in a 50-year-old body because I feel so much younger. I was recently given a not-so-subtle reminder that I’m not as invincible as I once was. I was swimming laps in the pool and decided to indulge my inner child by doing a couple of fancy dives off the diving board. As soon as I sprung off the end of the board I felt a horribly intense snap in my calf. After my swim I was hobbling around in pain. What on earth had I done to myself?

Listen To Your Body

I immediately called my daughter, who studied kinesiology in university, for her advice. She told me to ice and rest my calf and to make a visit to a physiotherapist. After an assessment, the physiotherapist told me I had torn my right lateral gastrocnemius and that I would have to stay off of it for a while!

I don’t like being told to rest – I get cranky when I can’t work out! I wasn’t going to ignore my therapist’s advice but I had to find a way to maintain my activity level while nursing my injury. I also didn’t want my injury to prevent me from upholding my physique. I decided to modify my workout plans to avoid putting any pressure on my calf. For cardio, I swam using only my arms and focused on my upper body for my weights routine.

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve torn the muscle and I’ve been healing quite nicely. I was even able to wear heels at a special event a few weeks ago!

Injuries happen to everyone and they can be discouraging. But if you follow the advice below you’ll be able to heal as quickly and effectively as possible so you can get back to your regular routine.

1. Visit an Expert: It’s easy to think you’re injury isn’t all that bad, especially if you’re a tough Sister-in-Iron! But it’s best to get an expert opinion. They’ll tell you exactly what happened and how to approach the healing process.

2. Modify Your Workout Plan: I had to cut my leg workouts and focus on upper-body training. I also adjusted my cardio to involve arms only. Use training books and magazines to find exercises that won’t stress your injury. Do what you can within the limits of your injury. This may mean completely taking a break from your training. Listen to your healthcare expert and your body.

3. Seek Out Alternative Therapies: My physiotherapist administered acupuncture to encourage the healing process. It was very effective for releasing the tension in my muscle. Don’t discount the benefits of acupuncture, massage and hydrotherapy among other alternative therapies when you are recovering. Discuss these options with your healthcare provider to find out what’s available for you.

4. Eat Clean: Following The Eat-Clean Diet™ should be at the heart of all recovery efforts. Your body needs the best fuel it can get at this point because it will be working extra hard to heal. Fill up on lots of veggies, fruit, whole grains, lean protein and water. You can also discuss taking supplements with your healthcare expert to encourage further recovery. Eating well is especially important if you need to stop training altogether during your recovery. You don’t want to ruin all of your hard work!