Perhaps you are beginning a fitness program or rehabbing a new injury?
Perhaps you have climbed this mountain before, only to find yourself at the bottom again, looking at the challenging road ahead?
Whatever the reason, you are back at square one.
Taking the first step is tough. You know what’s ahead and you understand the commitment it requires.
Plan the road ahead
- Understand your condition
Most successful missions have a solid plan or at least a general direction leading towards your destination. Often, the reason your recovery fails is due to a lack of understanding for your condition.
Ideally, one should seek the guidance of an expert but at the very least, do your homework! Make sure you understand your condition, then you will have an idea of how long your recovery will take and what you will need to do/not do in order to get back out there.
Visit our *your injury page to learn more about some of the most common injuries to affect athletes and ensure you follow a tried and tested recovery/prevention protocol!
Set yourself targets and checkpoints
- Take the road MOST traveled
It’s important to split a long-term goal into smaller, more easily achieved, bite-sized milestones. Consistency is key which is why we include a daily sticker tracker to help you stay on track!.
Remember, sometimes you will reach an unexpected obstacle, setback or fork in the road. Don’t panic, simply take a moment to regroup (and possibly reroute) and keep going!
You are not the first one to experience this challenge, don’t be too shy to seek advice. If you are a part of the Zlaant community feel free to post a question for discussion. To sign up, visit the Zlaant Community page and enter the Zlaant Code found on your Zlaant Product.
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Track your progress
- Reward yourself for small achievements
Its difficult to notice small improvements when you are in pain or frustrated and functioning below your potential.
Often, when we are working towards our goal, we put our heads down and forget to take our bearings along the way. Make sure you have some sort of system in place and a reference point to see how far you have come.
We suggest taking baseline measurements for your range of motion, strength, mobility, balance, pain and other functions so that you can quantify your recovery and don’t lose sight of the smaller achievements in pursuit of your end goal.
To help you stay on track with your daily ZlaantBoard Circuit, we have included a 21 day sticker tracker and mail series that you can sign up for by visiting the Zlaant Community page and using your Zlaant Code to register.
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The 3 Pillars of Zlaant
- Patience, Consistency, Quality of Movement
PATIENCE- We can’t say this enough, if you are recovering from an injury, it’s important to remain patient with yourself and the recovery process. You’re working towards improving your strength and function gradually as you increase your sets and repetitions each week.
It’s normal to experience some discomfort during recovery, however, if you’re in pain while exercising or the following day, you might be pushing yourself too hard. Listen to your body and decrease your intensity to a comfortable level.
Remember, every condition heals differently. Be patient and track your progress and you will see results.
CONSISTENCY- The key to achieving any goal is to show up consistently and do the work every day. Your recovery process or exercise regimen is no exception. Consistent, controlled, eccentric exercises that target both your injury and train your movement patterns are your best defense.
A great way to maintain consistency is to incorporate the circuit into your daily routine. Whether it’s first thing in the morning, or part of your warm up before a run, consistency will help you get back out there!
QUALITY OF MOVEMENT- The focus of any movement or exercise should be on quality and form. Slow, controlled and mindful movements that activate your intrinsic muscle stabilizers result in optimal movement patterns and decrease strain.
When starting new exercises/movements or progressing in your protocol, your focus should be on the quality of movement. You may only manage a few quality reps with proper form but with patience and consistency, you will build your strength and gradually be able to increase your reps.
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TODAY'S ZLAANT TIP
When it comes to injury, health and fitness, don’t take the road less traveled. The scenic route, maybe… slow and steady wins the race and all that… but seek advice. You are not the first one to climb this mountain and those who have done it before would love to help guide you through it.
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Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. As always, we appreciate ALL feedback.
Zlaant is a Community built for you, with your help, so please let us know your thoughts!
Well done for taking your recovery, prevention and performance into your own hands and partnering with Zlaant, here's to getting back out there!
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