Are You Listening to Your Body? The Hard Lesson My Ankle Injury Taught Me
A few weeks ago, I woke up with my left ankle swollen like a grapefruit.
I could barely put weight on it to walk.
What happened? What did I do?
I had to scroll back in my brain to remember what I may have done to cause my injury. I could not recall a specific movement or moment that would have caused it.
Hmm….
The only thing that I could come up with was that I had returned to teaching my step class at the local YMCA. I had not been teaching it for 5 months because of a vocal cord issue. I had also tried playing Pickleball for the first time.
Maybe it was a combination of both activities, I thought?
Scrolling back a little further in my brain, I had an “aha” moment…
You see, I remembered that every time I would use the roller on my calves in my classes, my left calf was extremely tight. There was a HUGE knot in there.
I would tell myself, “You have to work on this at home, Connie.”
But given how busy life was, I didn’t take the time to “Pause” and address this knot in my calf.
If you have been in my classes in the past year, you probably heard me talk about how tight my left calf was! I have said over and over again that it is the tightest part of my body.
Was I not listening to my body?!
Why didn’t ME—of all people—listen to my own words to my stretching students about listening to your body?
I should have known better!
My body was trying to tell me that my calf needed to stretch more or soon it was going to break.
Well, it broke!
My calf reached its breaking point and could not support my ankle any longer. It was done!
So my ankle injury was a long time coming. Teaching my Step class and playing Pickleball just put my calf over the edge.
I got “stuck in my body”—ME, Connie Williams, your stretching coach!
I have a hairline fracture and have been in an ankle brace for 5 weeks.
I do believe that things happen for a reason.
This has been a huge lesson for me to practice what I preach! It is further confirmation that there is “Power” in “Pausing” to listen to your body’s warning signs.
Pay attention!
Your body will tell you what is going on inside and what it needs: It could be stretching, but it could also be other things like hydration, good nutrition, a massage, a nap, or more rest. It may need to soak in a hot tub.
Take action and find ways to help your body out.
I am now listening to my body more than ever and grateful to find ways to give back to this body that I ask so much from each day.
A tight muscle is a weak muscle; I didn’t take extra time needed to stretch it, lengthen it to strengthen it
… and it finally broke.
Well, I am listening to my body now!
Lesson learned.
Don’t wait to learn the hard way—start listening to your body now!
