By If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably figured this out already, but I’m injured. A little over a week ago, I found out that the nagging pain in my hip was actually a femoral neck stress fracture. While part of me was relieved to finally have an answer to the pain that had already been preventing me from running, the reality also set in that this was a real injury, one that would sideline me for awhile (6 weeks to be exact).
More than just not being able to run, I’m restricted to weight bearing on my left side which means (you guessed it), I’m on crutches. I’ve been really lucky in my athletic endeavors and have never had a true injury so the crutches thing is new. So is the lack of mobility and forced rest. But, I’m adapting and staying as positive as I can.
What I wanted to do in this blog post, and all subsequent posts through the duration of my injury, is share some tips on how I’ve been coping. If you have tips, I’d love to hear them too! The bottom line is that finding the silver lining in this experience and being creative is what’s going to keep me healthy and sane. So in no particular order, here’s some of what I’ve been doing to adapt:
Swimming
This one is huge for me. I swam in college and dabbled as a triathlete after college, but up until last week I hadn’t been to a formal swim practice in more than six years. Now five practices in, I’m getting my feel for the water back and really enjoying the meditative experience of swimming. It’s also one of the few workouts that has been cleared by my doctor because it’s low impact. Win/Win.
Asking for Help
If you know me, you know that I have a tendency to be pretty darn stubborn. I also like to do things myself. Well, right now that’s just not possible. I’ve started getting comfortable with asking for help when I need it. That means everything from assistance on getting my yoga mat set up to teach to using the electric cart in the grocery store. Shout out to my yogis who pushed me to actually ask for help and be okay with it!
Rely on Tech
In the same vain as above, I’ve been using Amazon, Instacart, and Uber way more! Online shopping FTW!
Use My Words
One of the things I was most worried about with my injury was my ability to teach yoga. When I teach I rely a lot on movement — from demoing poses to walking around the room offering hands on assists. Without those tools I was pretty nervous. The reality is yes, it is different, but it works and it’s given me a chance to see my students in a new way. I have to be clear with my words and really speak to what I see in my students’ bodies even more.
Practice Gratitude
This one has been huge for me. Shifting my perspective and realizing that this is just a small blip in my life is something that has helped me stay positive. It’s also given me a chance to reflect and focus on the things I can do and appreciate those even more. I’m also grateful that I found out about the stress fracture in the first place — knowledge is power people!
Restore
I’m an early riser by nature, but since my injury I’ve decided that my body’s been telling me it needs rest. So I’ve totally gotten rid of my alarm (for now) and have been sleeping in more often than not. By resting and giving my body what it’s been craving, I’m hoping I can accelerate the healing process while catching up on those precious zzzs.
Have you ever been injured? What did you do to get through the tough times? Share with me in the comments or reach out to me directly. I’d love to hear from you!
Loving life on the run. 