111417// Sick, Broken, or Tired? And what to do!

MetCon//

With a Partner 

14:00 Row for total Calories

Switch Rowers after

7 Handstand Push UP

20 Air Squats

We get asked all the time, "I'm feeling _______, what should I do?" There are a lot of kinds of sick so this is a really general idea. I would lump your typical and common sicknesses into Congestion sick and Stomach sick. So I'm really only covering really general stuff for these two categories, and staying away from full blown disease, mental illness, or other conditions. Also I'm not a doctor, I just play one on tv. 

Congestion sick// If your doc says you're contagious, stay away. If your throat is sore, stay away. If your cough sounds abnormal, stay away. Don't come to the gym if there is a chance that I will have to pick up a tissue that you used and forgot to throw away. But if your nose is just stuffed, or your recovering from an illness that made you congested through the chest. You can still train. Maybe breathing won't feel awesome, but you have 24 other hours to practice breathing. It can actually be a cool challenge to adjust your movement and pace to match the Oxygen available to you. Think the strokes and pace of a swimmer. You can only jam so fast, you're relegated to your efficiency. 

Stomach sick// If you spent the night next to the toilet, but you're feeling better in the morning, come train, but make sure you've re-hydrated appropriately. Pedialite, Gatorade, Coconut Water. Something with electrolytes, a little carb, and water. Stay away if you don't think you'll make it through the WOD without a bathroom visit. You can train on an upset stomach, but I personally think it's easier to train congested than on an upset stomach. 

For injuries athletes here are all over the map in how they respond// Not showing up for a couple weeks and only telling us after that they did x to themselves. Never telling us their issue, training anyway, and then just quitting the gym. Or telling us about every single little twinge, soreness, or cramp they have followed with the classic, "My x is sore, I must've done it wrong." Unlike the spectrum of sickness, there is one catch all for injuries or potential injuries. Tell us what you're dealing with and remind us what is going on. Tell and remind is the best policy, but just the first step. We'll usually tell you a stretch or mobility exercise, but again, we're not doctors. If things don't clear up in a week or two max, you should see a professional.

If something pops up, and you're newer to CrossFit (1 year or fewer), its likely an issue you already had, but hadn't experienced because you haven't done such demanding exercise. I almost always see these things go away with a little time and improved positions and efficiency. 

For experienced CrossFitters the most common injuries we see are over-use injury. Over-use is often synonymous with under-recovery. All of my CrossFit injuries have distinctly happened in WOD's where I felt run down and fatigued even before starting. I was most likely starving, undernourished, and dehydrated. Eat more carbohydrate and sleep better when you start feeling this way. 

Feeling tired? Be more specific. Did you have a big lunch and feeling sleepy? Come train, you'll wake up. Is it 4:30am and it feels like your alarm came on way too early, come train, you'll never regret it. I think the biggest tell to evaluate your recovery and nutrition is your mood. You can be just tired, that's normal and natural, training won't be detrimental. Are you an otherwise reasonable and happy adult, but you snapped at your spouse for nothing and want to drop kick your toddler for being too clingy, maybe you should have like an apple and take a nap. 

Devin JonesComment