Fun and Fitness: Know your limits

This past Monday, I happened to be on the receiving end of an unpleasant surprise. I was sitting in the gym taking a brief rest in between sets, and I noticed my shoulder didn't feel quite right. I got that oh-so-familiar feeling you get when you know that if you keep doing what you're currently doing, you're going to regret it the next day. You know the next day you're going to feel the hurt, but you don't stop because you think you'll be able to get away with it. The odd time, you get lucky and you do get away with it, but let's just say Monday wasn't my lucky day.

I ended up completely aggravating my already injured acromioclavicular joint. That's the "shoulder" to all the fitness un-savvy. I knew that if I kept up with my workout, it would just worsen the situation. So what did I choose to do? I finished my workout. So I didn't sleep well as I couldn't fully extend my arm, and I couldn't even brush my teeth or shave without feeling extreme pain.

Why do so many people (as well as myself) constantly do this to themselves? I'm sure you've tweaked your ankle before and kept playing on it because you felt it wasn't that bad; or you've practiced doing ollies on a skateboard and kept at it even though you nearly broke a bone several times. Many of us do it for the same reason: we're still young and we think we're invincible. Well, I hate to tell you, but a joint in the body is like a wheel, and it's only got so many spins before it falls off.

What worsens the situation is the fact that many people don't take care of themselves, especially us young fools. We don't take the time to stretch properly, we do things against doctors' orders and we often do things that we know will further aggravate an already injured body part.

PREVENTION is the key, and you need to prevent worst-case scenarios by taking proper precautions and avoiding the things you know you shouldn't be doing.

Take a look at Chris Chelios, who had an incredibly long and successful career in the NHL. His career spanned around 30 years! He was lucky enough to never have any career-ending injuries, but that doesn't take away from the testament of how much care he put into his body. I don't care if you haven't had a single injury your entire life; no one lasts 30 years in the NHL without consistently nurturing his body.

The last thing you want is a chronic injury as a result of pure laziness on your behalf. Imagine not being able to hold a grocery bag for more then two minutes because you're suffering from long-term wrist damage. Or better yet, how about walking with a cane by the time you're 45, simply because you didn't take care of your knees when you fully knew they were getting worse each year.

We often take our bodies for granted. Repeated abuse can age a body faster than Usain Bolt. So take a page out of Hall Of Famer Chris Chelios' book — your body will thank you for it later.