Injury.
Ut oh.
Anyone who exercises or moves at all risks injury. This is not news. But how do you handle it when injury strikes?
The biceps has two (bi) insertion points at the shoulder and one near the elbow.
I can’t say I am “injured” today… but I can tell you that yesterday I demonstrated a triceps dip for one of my bootcamp classes and nearly lost my grip—my right arm didn’t obey the commands I thought my brain sent. And then I tried to work out a few hours later and was doing jumping jacks to warm up and heard myself yelp aloud in the empty house.
I don’t usually yelp.
So I stopped my workout, bolused to correct in advance for the basal rate I had lowered the hour before the workout, and took off my shoes.
Game over.
I’m not even sure precisely what is wrong with my right arm. I think it is a problem with the long tendon of my bicep, at the insertion point of my biceps brachii muscle
and my shoulder (supraglenoid tubercle), but I can’t remember doing anything that caused an injury. I know my shoulder has been sore after I got my flu shot a few days ago and did a hard core pushup workout, and my CGM is in my right triceps muscle right now… so maybe it’s a combination of these myriad of assaults on my right upper arm.
Anyway, it’s time to dust off my protocol for injury that I use on myself:
- Having a reason to rest is the only requirement.
- Any suspected or logically anticipated injury is a reason.
- When injured, if I can work out without involving the injured area, I might. (I ran this morning and plan to run again Saturday if it is a good idea.)
- You can hurt yourself worse if you work out too soon. One workout isn’t worth it if you risk being out for weeks or months with a serious injury.
- If two body parts hurt or ache simultaneously, skip the workout.
- After being sick, rest one additional day beyond the day you say “I’m feeling better; I’m going to try a workout!”
- After being injured yet without medical advice, wait one more day after you want to go back. If you did see a professional for the injury, follow their advice and wait. Rest. Take care.
But, of course, now I have nothing to do… besides play Angry Birds. Those dang pigs!
(Update! I figured out what move I did incorrectly to cause the random pain. Phew; now all I need to do is rest!)
