Right off the bat I’m going to tell you I am not a PT nor am I an expert in this area and that you should always consult your doctor for expert advice…..with that said, these are my thoughts and personal experiences –
Over the last few weeks I had been battling some MAJOR lower body tightness from my lower back all the way down the front and back of my thighs, even on the bottom of my feet. I felt like a 100-year-old woman when I tried to get up after sitting for a while, which is what I do about 8 – 10 hours a day.
Having done all the right things – stretching, foam roller, chiropractor, and massage therapy – it slowly loosened up. This is just what happens to my body when I go hard-core, take 10 days off and then try to start at the same level again… duh – you’d think I’d learn by now. The real problem is that it messes with my head. I start to get discouraged, lazy and angry – I just want it to go away so I can get back to it. For me not a great time to start a lower body challenge right?
So this is what I did:
1. I slowed down and let my body have the time it needed to heal. This does not have to mean stopping, which I think is worse, but finding something a little less strenuous for a period of time. When you fight your body – two things will happen – your injury may get worse and you will walk around pissed off all day.
2. I made time to stretch – which is not only good for the body, but good for the soul. Breathing slowing in and out through each stretch is extremely relaxing – especially if you can focus on your breath and let go of everything else for a short time. Find the type of stretching that works best for your injury – for me it’s The Magic Four – these are great lower body stretches that can be done in 5-10 minutes. I also ran across these upper body stretches which are great if you work in front of a computer all day or just have some upper body soreness.
3. Oh and nothing beats a warm bath with lavender epsom salt …. Can you say heaven!
The key for me was to slow down, notice, accept and deal with my injury. Doing this helped me get back to normal much quicker and I didn’t get my panties all in a twist in the meantime 😉
Today I feel really good – can’t wait to share what I’m up to later today!
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