Issue #454: Stay Injury Free
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, May 27th.
In today’s email:
Learn: Stay Injury Free
Try: Breathe Better
Explore: River Surfing
In the News: Trust in Healthcare
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Stat of the Day
The increased prevalence of “knee pain” in the last 20 years. Over a quarter of all adults experience knee problems and this accounts for over 4 million doctor visits in the U.S. every year. (AAFP)
Learn
Stay Injury Free
I had just gotten about half way through my run and I felt a pull on my right calf.
Injuries don’t just happen - they are a result of continuous errors in movement or trying to do too much too soon.
The real key to longevity - don’t get injured.
When injuries build up - we move less, which then leads to poor sleep, more stress, bad eating…well you can tell where this is going.
We don’t intend to stop working out - but we physically can’t because our back or shoulder or calf is holding us back.
There are two primary reasons for most injuries (not accounting for landing on someone’s ankle if you’re still playing pickup bball) -
1. Doing too much too soon.
2. Years of incorrect body alignment
In terms of #1 - this is when you take a break from something and think you can jump back in right where you left off or maybe you’re trying to do too much beyond what your muscles and nerves expect or are prepared to do.
Two examples - I was lifting with a buddy a few months ago. Normally I just go to a bootcamp-style class. So there might be a 5 min station of say dumbbell incline bench and bent-over rows or maybe a station of pulls-ups or push-ups. But I rarely bench with barbells anymore.
On this occasion I decided to prove to myself (and maybe to my buddy) that I still had it. That I could get out a few reps of 200+ lbs.
Turns out I could. But the next day I didn’t just feel sore - I felt pain. That acute “load” (weight x reps) from a single lift session surpassed what I normally did in a couple of weeks. Doing 25 push-ups every morning had kept me strong, but that didn’t mean my body was ready to max out bench press.
Another example was my calf - I woke up feeling great and put in an extra sprint in between each of my workout stations (I mean when you see dolphins in front of this sunrise how can you not feel great?).
But again, it was 6am I hadn’t sufficiently warmed up and I know that unless I pay extra attention to them - I have tight ankles and achilles, putting me at risk for calf injuries.
Fortunately, it wasn’t severe and I didn’t need a long recovery. But it could have easily been worse and taken me down for a couple of weeks.
#2 is when we’ve lost our range of motion or don’t have real stability.
We think of stability as balance - not falling down. But stability really means the balance between opposing forces. Are our muscles and joints in balance so that they aren’t compensating for each other putting us at risk?
When we become creatures that spend all day sitting in front of a screen - our entire body gets out of whack and we lose our ability to move.
Just watching my 4-yr old squat or my 7-yr old cartwheel - I see how much mobility I’ve lost.
Then we go to pick up a box or plant a tree in the yard or do an overhead serve on the tennis court and we trigger our lower back, our neck or our shoulder.
The combination of not being in alignment with a compromised movement to lift the box or serve the ball given the state of our stability is what causes injury.
We’re all about showcasing how amazing humans are - but first, second, and third is all about protecting yourself from injury.
Because if there’s anything I’ve learned in the quest for longevity - it’s not a supplement or a pill that’s going to get us there - it’s still being able to do what you want to do free of pain or injury.
Try
Breathe Better
The first thing for body alignment is how we breathe.
Try a 10-day challenge of doing 15-20 breaths while lying on the floor and your knees at a 90-degree angle. Keep your lower back on the ground and each breath try to get deep into your diaphragm so that your belly goes up, not your chest.
If you want an added challenged, you can hold a weight while doing this - but the focus is on the breath. It’s part of the concept of DNS - dynamic neuromuscular stabilization.
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Explore
River Surfing - Bend, OR
Bend has become a top destination for outdoor adventure - but it’s not just hiking. The Bend Whitewater Park is a controlled river for surfing and kayaking right in the city.
But if that’s not your thing - there’s still an extensive network of hiking and biking trails for everyone in the family - including Tumalo Falls, Shevlin Park, and the Deschutes River Trail.
There’s also a mile long underground lava tube cave. There’s plenty of healthy food spots and places to meditate for a full wellness retreat (without actually going to a wellness retreat).
H&L in the News
Healing Healthcare Starts With Trust: Doctors and patients are both fed up with a broken system. But rebuilding trust - with better communication, shared decisions, and mutual respect - might be the key to real healing. (WSJ)
Wanted - Running Shoe Upgrade: Tested by 27 runners over 21,000 miles, this guide reveals the top 14 running shoes for training, racing, and recovery - so you can find your perfect fit and run your best. (Outside)
Monkeys, Mayhem, and Memory: Capuchin monkeys are clever, curious, and occasionally ruthless. Decades of fieldwork reveal how they learn, form bonds, start trends - and why they’d make terrible roommates. (Knowable)
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.