Speaking as one who has suffered her fair share of injuries on the journey to Black Belt I want to share some observations and suggestions that may help adults not only in Martial Arts but other forms of aggressive exercise and sports.

As I started progressing through the belt ranks I became more and more serious about training.  I wanted to be at the dojo (karate school) all the time.  I went to every class that I could during the week.  This meant I was training every single day, 5 days per week all in a row.  Big Mistake!! Eventually I was suffering with shin splints from the warm ups where endless jumping jacks and plyometrics are performed.  I also started to feel pain in my ankle and knee. The initial ankle pain eventually turned into a serious problem that took me out of the game for 6 months.  I wasn’t listening to my body’s cry for mercy.  My “older” body needed recovery time between sessions.  I cannot stress enough the importance of a day of recovery to give your tired muscles a rest between lessons or sports games.

I tended to ignore feelings of pain while pushing forward.  Eventually I found an awesome Chiropractor who practices ART (Active Release Technique).  This is a specific technique that deals with soft tissue treatment.  ART is used for athletic performance enhancement, injury prevention and management.  I found this to be very effective for treating my injuries.  My Chiropractor became my savior.  The slightest hint of pain or tightness in my body and I am in his office getting treatment.  Adults cannot ignore feelings of pain while they continue to grind their bodies through grueling sessions.  I got smart and started listening to my body – and my Chiropractor who taught me the exercises that I need to do for my individual problems.

My good friend, Fernanda the Pharmacist and Herbalist, got me going on the proper supplementation to aide in keeping my joints and muscles healthy.  She recommended glucosamine as it’s needed to make and repair joint cartilage.  The cartilage serves as the cushion at the joint surface.  She also recommended MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) which provides sulfur making it a vital building block of joints, cartilage, skin, hair and nails.  She suggested Celadrin which is a blend of fatty acids that enhances the cells membranes and their integrity for efficient functionality.  Celadrin prevents inflammation while restoring fluid to cushion bones and joints promoting flexibility and mobility.

Lots of good clean water and learning what foods to consume before and after training sessions is also essential for performance and a healthy body.

Following proper recovery time, athletic injury prevention and management techniques, consuming good supplements and proper nutrition can all go a very long way in keeping your body healthy and therefore less prone to injury.

Tags: Active Release Technique, Celadrin, Glucosomine, martial arts, MSM