Post #20: Dealing with Injuries - Prevention and Recovery

March 22nd, 2024

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Today’s post is on a topic I have had to deal with throughout my life because of a combination of being accident prone, clumsy and adventurous while not being fit enough to deal with the consequences of those attributes: Injuries. This is an important topic for a number of reasons but the main one is that every time one gets injured, one’s routine gets impacted. This is a slippery slope because the injury-related lack of exercise and boredom eating leads to lower energy levels, poorer blood markers and reduced muscle mass from atrophy, which in turn leads to higher chances of injuries and the cycle repeats. 

Based on my personal experiences, I want to talk about two aspects in today’s post:

1. How I have reduced my probability of getting injured

2. How I deal with my daily exercise habits when I am injured

1. Injury Prevention: 

I have a titanium rod in my right leg from my knee to my ankle (soccer injury), artificial discs in my neck (soccer injury), torn meniscus (soccer injury), 3 fractures (soccer and biking), a skull injury (trying to impress my kids) and lots of stitches all over my body (variety of equally ridiculous reasons). The biggest lesson I learned from my various injuries was that while some of them were freak accidents that I couldn’t have done much to prevent, many of them would not have been as bad, had I been physically prepared for it. Just because my heart was ready to take on the intensity of a full field soccer game didn’t mean my body was primed to do so. 

This made it clear that I had to focus on getting my muscles to catch up to my cardio fitness levels. This meant a combination of strength training, flexibility / mobility and balance / stability. At a high level, my schedule has evolved into the following:

1. Strength Training: 3 times a week, 45 minutes each time. I have a detailed schedule that repeats every 11 sessions with different amounts of reps, sets and weights across about 40 different exercise routines. I choose to do a lower amount of weight but at higher sets and reps. My primary exercises are the squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, single arm rows, pendlay rows, barbell skull crushers, weighted dips, pull-ups, chin-ups, calf raises, leg extensions, face pulls, bicep curls, lateral raises, etc. If you are interested in getting the exact program I use and then modify it to meet your requirements, let me know in the comments and I can share the google sheet that I use.

2. Flexibility / Mobility: Incorporating flexibility and stretching into my pre-strength training sessions and my soccer games. I focus primarily on hamstring and quadricep stretching and on shoulder circles, hip circles and lateral leg swings. All of them are easy to do for most people who don’t have significant prior injuries. I have historically not had any IT band issues but quite a few people do, in which case using a foam roller would be helpful.

3. Balance / Stability: Enhancing balance and stability through specific exercises and drills can help improve coordination and control. Anyone doing yoga on a regular basis already gets this aspect but I do this standing on a bosu ball (the one with one side that’s flat and the other side that’s half a ball) and with a single leg deadlift (where you create a T shape with the vertical of the T being one leg and the horizontal bar of the T being formed by your other leg on one side and your hands on the other side). I do this once or twice a week when I am on a phone call so I don’t have to set aside time specifically for it.

I recommend getting a personalized workout plan, especially for strength training but if you can also get an expert to help you on the other two pieces, that would be ideal. 

So what’s the result of putting in all this effort over the last 3 years? I have seen a dramatic improvement in my rate of injuries (I maybe jinxing myself with this statement!). My injuries have been relatively minor and in most cases, they were in line with what you would expect as niggling injuries from playing a contact sport. Also my recovery period, when I do get injured, is that much shorter. As importantly, that extra strength, flexibility and balance also shows up as improved performance; something that I desperately covet as I play against increasingly younger opponents.

2. Dealing with Injuries:

During the time I have injuries now (most of which are lower body related), I continue any exercises that don’t put further stress on the injury while backing off on any that do. However, I do seek modifications to existing exercises from an expert, that will allow me to maintain overall strength while not causing further injury. It is important to not get too creative here because the couple of times that I made that mistake, I paid the price. Rest and recovery during such times is highly underrated and I am beginning to appreciate its importance. As part of the GeneClinicX team, I have had access to an amazing physical therapist and an advanced yoga instructor who have been very good at guiding me through these times.

I should mention that I generously use both hot (for muscle stiffness) and cold therapy (typically in the first 24 to 48 hours post an injury to reduce inflammation and pain). I also use Advil (ibuprofen) to help with inflammation and pain relief. I don’t use it for more than a day because I am paranoid about developing long term GI and liver issues but it is very valuable for those first 24 hours.

As the old saying goes, “you don’t stop playing soccer when you get old; you get old when you stop playing soccer”. However, this needs to be supplemented with taking care of our bodies from a strength, flexibility and stability perspective in order to be sustainable in the long term. I hope you get to enjoy your favorite sport, be it golf, badminton, tennis or anything else, for as long as you want, with your body being an asset rather than a liability.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or wellness program. Reliance on any information provided in this article is solely at your own risk. The author and publisher of this article make no representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or effectiveness of the information contained herein. The inclusion of specific products, services, or strategies in this article does not imply endorsement or recommendation. The author and publisher disclaim any liability for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use or application of the information presented. You are encouraged to consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle.