Compensating, who, me?

Do you sometimes feel as though recovering from injuries was much simpler when we were younger?  Maybe we spent more time on it back then.  After all, time was more plentiful before children, and all of the other responsibilities of life added up.  Or maybe instead of recovering, we were merely compensating.

I know I might sound crazy, but follow me on this.  I was speaking with a student after Pilates class yesterday.  She was talking about how some cues had her rethinking whether she could realign following an injury  She had been through therapy, and was doing very well in Pilates, but was beginning to think she would never be able to completely flatten and properly align through the pelvis due to the injury on one side. Somehow, during class, one or two of the cues found her a little closer, and beginning to engage the muscles to realign.  She was thinking by the end of class, that maybe patience and perseverance would win out.

She got me thinking.  I often catch myself feeling like some of these chronic issues are just here to stay, and being an older member of the fitness and wellness profession, that some of this was just meant to be.  Some of them are.

But also, when I spent those years working in knee research, folks came in for their first radiographs reporting that one side or the other was far more painful, when it was actually the opposite side which was shown in the x-rays to be more advanced in arthritis.

So maybe, just maybe, when I was training hard and working through the injuries years ago, they didn't just create chronic issues because I was working through them.  Maybe all of that compensating for the injures is catching up to me, too, and if I slow down, and use the power of the knowledge and experience all of this has given me, I can heal as well as I did back then.  Or almost, anyway.

Sure, this doesn't apply in all cases.  But the concern for the long term effects from compensating for the strong or week or tight side,is real.  And could be one key to unlock the door to more consistent training.

Just a thought.