Ever been injured? Ever have a chronic, debilitating, injury that is the focal point of your life? I have and lately, I have come to the realization so have other people. We as human beings live the sport known as life. With sport comes injury and a lot learning and re-learning. I want to talk about someone today who has really familiarized themselves through what Stu McGill calls the gift of injury.
Marc is an intriguing client at C.P. I say that because he has a deep knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics. When I first met Marc, I remember trying to piece together what I was saying and the reasons why I would ask him to execute an exercise this way or that way. Typically, I was use to people just saying, “ok”, an occasional eye roll, or a “why” which I usually followed with a long, drawn out, explanation that made people want to run the other way.
However, when I met Marc, something was different, every time I talked to him about the reasons why, or the specifics of this thing vs. that thing, he seemed to take a sincere, genuine interest. On top of that, he himself would elaborate his thoughts with an in depth question or statement of purpose or intention. An example of this is when he and I questioned whether the Cook hip lift (we call it single leg hip lift) is more of an external rotator and the exact position of the foot to maximize the stability factor.
Needless to say, Marc use to make me a bit nervous and really think about what I was saying.
Now you’re probably wondering why I am telling you this. Well the truth is Marc is a person who takes his health seriously.You see for years Marc has been plagued with injury and pain. Typically, when we feel pain or sense an injury we get nervous and upset and cast a whole future filled with anxiety and all the events we can’t do or attend because of this problem. Marc is different.
You see, while, he has worked through this problem for years, educated himself on his problem, biomechanics, and anatomy, Marc hasn’t given up. He strives to get better every time he comes to the gym and work out. Each and every time, he looks to move the needle just a few degrees further. It’s not about getting big or jacked or lift the most weight possible, no, rather it’s about getting healthy; to be able to throw a ball around with his kids, and enjoy some recreational sports. Hell, even just feel no pain when he plays poker with his buddies.
A few months ago Marc, had a serious bout with this problem and took a few months off. He got the necessary help he needed and slowly eased his way back into the gym. It’s been a few months and a couple programs later, but Marc is finally back to performing all the patterns he once was before his problem flared up. I think we can all learn a lesson from Marc.
Injury doesn’t have to take over and control our lives. In fact it can teach us a lot about ourselves and things we never thought we might learn. If you take anything from this post it’s that Marc is a perfect example of what it means to persevere, how to manage expectations of yourself, and build awareness around the temple known as your body.
