WAG Going to gym

[Jard.the.gymnast]

Do you go to practice when you are injured to do conditioning etc? I know when i can go back (doctor told me, i am NOT seeking medical advice), but i am always just pretty bored when i can't do anything. So what would you do (or are you doing or have you done) with practice when you are/were/Will be injured?

 

[ayyyrial]

When I had a foot injury I'd go to practice every day but didn't stay the whole time. I would condition on my own and then started joining in for certain things on bars and beam. My coaches let me go with whichever group was on the right event for me, so I didn't stay with my level. It was pretty self-directed.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

My daughter has gone to gym with a boot. And she has gone to gym with her wrist out of commission. Maybe not for the whole practice. But as her coach says there is always something to do.

 

[gymmomtotwo]

Yes. All our injured gymnasts go in some capacity with written restrictions from the Dr. The coach develops a conditioning program for each gymnast based on what they can do. Not only does it help keep they gymnast in the best condition they can be, but keeps them from feeling depressed and isolated.

 

[KarahjaeTE]

I went to every practice when my knee was injured as well as when I hurt my shoulder.
My coach always had something for me to do whether it was conditioning or even just helping out by coaching.

 

[NY Dad]

My dd was 7 years old and level 2 when she broke her elbow. We had weekly appointments with the orthopedist. Each week I would ask what she could and couldn't do. I had pictures and descriptions to make sure he understood what I was talking about. I communicated this to her gym after each appointment. Her practices were only 2 hours each twice a week. I don't think she went the first week. The second week she couldn't do anything b/c the doctor was concerned about the bone slipping. Each week she was able to do more and more until she eventually got the green light to fully return.

 

[thefellowsmom]

Most kids at our gym go to practice when they can. Our coaches are amazing at creating quality practice for kids that are injured. My dd went every day with a knee injury and stayed the whole time. There is always some down time but her coaches would definitely say you can always find something to do, whether it is your pt, icing, helping out, conditioning, stretching, drills etc etc etc.

When someone gets surgery then that usually requires time out of the gym but from what I have seen and heard these girls are chomping at the bit to get back to the gym and come as soon and as often as possible if even for just an hour or two.

Our gym is known to get kids back quickly, in good mental and physical health and with little skill loss. I've been very impressed with how they handle it.

All of this with medical release and coordination with drs, pts, chiros, orthos etc. Of Course!

 

[raenndrops]

At our gym, it depends on the girl and the injury. They can condition, "coach" or do what are cleared to do. They rarely stay the whole time.

 

[Aussie_coach]

When my gymnasts are injured, I still expect them to attend training (once evaluated by the physio to see what is safe and what is not) I do a seperate program for them based on what they can do, after having them evaluated by our physio. Ther program incorporates exersizes reccomened by the physio and anything the gymnast is cleared for.

Simply no going to gym for the period you are injured can also be a danger, you will lose strength, flexibility and fitness, which means once you return you re injury risk is higher.

 

[profmom]

Going to gym and doing strength/conditioning is very good for mental health as well as physical health. It helps a great deal in staving off depression triggered by a sudden drop in level of physical activity and disconnection from important social networks in a person's life.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

There is also something to be said about visualization. It is Very important to observe skills, you actually learn from this. Consequently this helps with skill retention.

 

[thefellowsmom]

There is also something to be said about visualization. It is Very important to observe skills, you actually learn from this. Consequently this helps with skill retention.

Yes yes yes!!! Also, visualize all your skills during practice, after practice and especially before bed. Visualization is very effective.

 

[Aero]

There is also something to be said about visualization. It is Very important to observe skills, you actually learn from this. Consequently this helps with skill retention.

Yes, yes, a million times YES!

Visualization is the most effective way to train when not actually in the gym. It allows the gymnast to do the mental part of a skill, or even drills, on its own without the physical component. It helps the athlete understand the skill better, how it works, as well as any other concepts that exist (like dynamics, or power, etc.). Best of all, the whole process happens in a relaxed, focused state, free of fear.

It has been proven to improve motor pathways; when an athlete tries the skill again the next day, the body is more easily able to perform it since the body is effectively acting out what the mind already practiced the previous day.