Injury: Sit on the bench or tough it out?

saynay18
saynay18 Posts: 25 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been on a roll lately. Lots of great workouts and really great eating and the scale has been kind to me. Yesterday, I was walking with a friend, and we were tackling some hills in her neighborhood. I noticed some tightness in my heel and thought maybe my shoe was rubbing. At home later I realized the pain was still there and it seems I've sprained or inflammed my achilles in some way. Sometimes walking is uncomfortable, I can feel some catching and pulling when in use. I iced it last night and have been trying to stretch it frequently.

I'm so dissapointed! The weather is getting nicer and I've been on such a roll. I have scheduled Zumba twice this week with walks in between. Should I stop to let this injury heal, or continue with my planned workouts and take care of it when I'm not exercising?

In the past, this is exactly the sort of thing that could throw me off my program entirely. I just do not want to get off track! How do you "stay on your program" while dealing with illness or injury? Thanks for any thoughts :)

Replies

  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
    Tough it out if you want it to be tougher and tougher to maintain a healthy body. Pain exists for a reason, not as a simple roadblock to your fitness regimen but it's there to tell you something is wrong. Take a few days off and go from there.
  • uconnwinsnc
    uconnwinsnc Posts: 1,054 Member
    Don't mess around with achilles injuries.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Rest.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Better to take care now--will only get worse.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    I would say first get it checked out to see what it is.

    Then is it is a sprain or similar injury - sit it out and let it heal (not what to want to hear).

    I have been cursed in life with an 'idiot gene' and never sit out when I get injured and as a result I end up taking way longer to recover than I should.

    Maybe as a suggestion, if you do have to rest it, try exercises that don't require impacting on your heal whilst your sitting the Zumba out (like swimming or something else).

    Good luck with it.
  • vastiris
    vastiris Posts: 56 Member
    As someone who went from toughing out 'back pain' to a ruptured disc, I say that you just need to take it easy. If walking lightly feels ok, then sure. Anti-inflammatories and ice are your friend, but if you said that you feel "catching or pulling", then it might not hurt to maybe get a quick exam to make sure there are no tears or some other structural thing. Last thing you want (trust me) is to get to a point where you have actually broken or torn or ruptured something. In the meantime, if you feel it getting better, take it easy on what you do until things feels more 'ok'.

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