Importance of Care

That is one thing that will always resonnate within me: "Take Care of your body!!!" Something Coach reminds of at least once a week, but the occasional 3/4 times doesn't surprise anyone either, lol.

Hey bloggerz! Sorry for the delay in posting this one, but I've been under the gun to get a few things done. Well, I guess my own gun with a slow trigger and possibly rubber bullets. Ok, ok I was taking my time and just didn't feel like writing the past few weeks, even though this is something I am pretty eager to get out to you. There is just something about a tough day's work on the track that makes everything else seem so unimportant compared to the amount of sleep and recovery your body wants to slouch about in.

Back to the topic at hand. The quote above is from my coach reminding us to continue to take care of our body as athletes. Now you may be thinking that he is talking about eating right and drinking water and such, which he is, but not entirely. The main point he makes with that statement is to make sure we are getting our bodies "worked on" as we call it. This only means that we are making appointments to see any specialists that will aid in our recovery and allow us to keep our bodies in optimal shape from all the mileage (literal, lol) and strength and mental confidence we command of them.

For me this usually means that in a week I'll get an ice bath, a torturous deep tissue massage (hey don't give me that, there is no calming music and sounds of waterfalls in the background, lots of moments of pain comes from them), a epsom salt bath, maybe some accupuncture, an adjustment from the Chiro, icing my knees down several times a week, and stretching each night. It might sound like a lot, but the routine works for me and when Im consistent I usually have really good practices because my recovery is much better or faster.

Taking care of your body is no different for sports athletes than for regular everyday people. Perhaps you could take out a full ice bath and get away with that bruised ankle of yours. I probably wouldn't recommend a deep tissue to anyone who doesn't need it either, unless of course you're just curious, I would applaud you for trying one. These things are what helps our bodies recover and get back into working shape. Icing for example helps to numb the area of pain or inflamation so that when you have endured anywhere from 8-15 minutes and allow your body temp or restore itself blood will flow to the injured area more rapidly. This rapid blood flow creates new blood to come and repair damaged tissue and muscles which will speed up the healing process.

Epsom salt baths are usually done when you are extremely sore, but not bruised or muscles inflamed. The hot bath mixed with salt (to pull out toxins and overload the body with one of the electrolytes that it needs) will not only relax you, but allow your muscles to drain themselves of unwanted material through your pours as you sweat. It is similar to a detox, but not as inclusive. Usually you want to do hot baths or hot packs on affected areas prior to activities to help the stiff areas loosen up some or before bed for ultimate comfort. With epsom salt, I've noticed that my soreness lasts for much less than usual, I can be back running on a sore appendage sooner, and that my muscles have a chance to relax and loosen themselves which can help save you from a muscle pull. Of course you don't want to forget to drink LOTS of water while doing an epsom salt because if will dehydrate you and you will feel those affects the next day for sure.

Now Chiropractic care is something that I've heard several physical therapists and trainers look down upon. One reason is because a chiro has the knowledge or lack thereof to rearrange and adjust your bone structure. Now this is good if your spinal cord or low back or hips are out of alignment, but if you get worked on by someone who knows not what they're doing, they could really mess some stuff up. Honestly and personally though, I like Chiropractors. They not only adjust your body and any bones that have subluxation (misalignment), but also help in the corrective care area to release tension on your nerves. This technique is primarily focused on the spinal cord adjustments that allow nerve relief which can help your body function and operate better or optimally. I'll discuss more about Chiropractors in detail next post.

As you can see taking care of your body is pretty important. These things to take care of your body during aches, pains, and healthy living. Along with these things you can help to improve your health, while living long and strong! Some keys to this are drinking LOTS of water. Think of a lot of water and how much that is to you, then drink more than that, lol. Try to decrease or eliminate stress if possible, detoxify your body when necessary, get plenty of sleep, and eat healthy and supplement your food with those important vitamins and minerals that your body needs. This has been another service announcement from the life of...DK Research.truth. (Not a real website, lol)