The last thing you ever want to deal with is a barrier from activities we enjoy in life. Some of these barriers are preventable!
The first barrier that comes to my mind is injury. Sometimes, however, other factors aside from injury can limit the ability to enjoy your favorite activities. A few examples include fatigue, lack of motivation, scheduling conflicts, or uncertainty about pushing through aches and pains.
I (Myles, Athletic Therapist), recently went to a local high school basketball practice to talk with the team about strategies to stay on the court! Some common questions that came up from the team were; How do I know if I’m sore from working hard or have an injury? How can I manage things before an injury occurs? What should I do to make sure I get the right care if an injury does happen? These and other questions, I felt, brought up the need to share this information online so that injuries can be avoided, managed, and you can stay in the game! Below are a few categories to think about when managing an active lifestyle.
Balance and Recovery
With anything in life, moderation is key. As important as it is to participate in sports or activities, it is equally important to allow your body to rest and recover. This fairly simple method of managing your body can help reduce injury and allow you to perform at the best of your abilities. On the same note, rest doesn’t always mean “do nothing”. For example, working in a light walk or jog at a lower intensity then your activity can allow for the body to work out tightness and soreness. Sometimes, after an activity if we sit around and do nothing, our muscles can get tight and it can lead to additional soreness and impact our ability to continue on with activity.
Asking for Help
Obtaining help with managing your body doesn’t always have to be an expensive endeavor. One of the easiest ways to get some help for something is asking those around you for help. Friends, family, or a coach may not always have the direct answer to your concern, but they can help guide you in the right direction. If seeing a healthcare professional is what might be best for you, check to see if you have health benefits that could assist you in seeking care. If not, there are third party insurance plans that are reasonably priced, and can make a big impact on your ability to obtain the help you may need. Click Here to read our previous blog about the Canadian Athlete Insurance Program (CAIP) which can provide coverage starting from $25/yr!
Athletic Therapy
Athletic Therapists do not always only work with people who are injured. Injury prevention and education is a large part of the work we do. We see some people in the clinic who want to maintain their current level of activity, or increase it, without the fear or unknown of what may come in the future. Some things we help with include exercise prescription, movement education, maintenance and management of aches and pains with manual treatment, as well as return to play planning to name a few areas outside of injuries.
Want to get started with your Athletic Therapy assessment and treatment? Book here! We often have same day or same week appointments available so we are here to help when YOU need it.
