Let’s talk about injuries and running. It’s one of those dreaded situations that no one likes to think about, however is part of the sport (or in my case, life).
A few weeks ago my 3-year-old left his duplo blocks out on the porch. This is a common occurrence and usually something I’m more mindful of. As I was chasing him out the door I forgot…and I rolled my ankle. Ultimately it was diagnosed as a sprain so I’ve been pretty quiet on any form of movement for just over a month.
For the last few weeks I’ve taken this time to slow down (literally and figuratively) and try some different exercises. Injuries suck, there is no doubt about it. Luckily this week I have been able to ease my way back into running, slowly.
If you’ve found yourself frustrated or injured lately, I have a few ideas for you!
Other Exercise Ideas
The first week I could barely put pressure on my ankle, so I took it extremely easy and stuck to just getting around the house. However, as I felt like I could move more I dove into a few new exercises.
Yoga is something I’ve never been able to commit completely to. This injury has been a wonderful excuse to change that. Between a local yoga in the park (with social distancing measures in place) and Yoga with Adriene, I have managed to start finding my confidence in Yoga. This will for sure stay in my routine as I start running again, it feels wonderful!
However, I felt like I needed something else as well. I wasn’t quite ready for 5 days a week of Yoga. Luckily, one of my favorite gymnasts had just kicked off a daily 15 minute abs. I’m sure they are geared towards young gymnasts (haha, not me) but they have been a humbling 15 minutes with some sore abs afterward.
One thing I’ve read over and over again is that the way your legs turn over while riding a bike is the closest thing to running. I tried going a few times while injured but my ankle had a rough time still.
If you are looking for something else to do more long term, Youtube and Pinterest are LOADED with at home workout ideas. I also have loved Beachbody workouts in the past, although they are more high intensity, there were only a handful I would recommend while injured!
It’s not the same as a quiet run but injuries need rest… at least that’s what I keep telling myself!
What is your favorite non-running exercise?