I am an avid tennis and platform tennis player but have been on hold due to plantar fasciitis for the past 5 months now. Thankfully, I decided to devote myself to yoga. Since practicing yoga (daily), I do feel more at ease in my body and am more open with less pain. I still haven’t “kicked” the plantar problem 100% and have not returned to tennis yet. I am torn about returning to tennis at some point, feeling it maybe too hard on the body and cause more harm on the body down the road.
I am curious to the opinions of others. Do you feel athletic sports after a certain age could do more harm than good? I am 55 and notice more clearly how my fellow tennis friends walk with limps, talk about their injuries,surgeries, etc. I hope to be mobile for decades without a walker and cannot help but wonder if sports do the body more harm than good.
Hi, I’m also an avid tennis player. I’m 58 and as I get older have noticed that my body needs more care and attention to keep playing. I added yoga to my regime about 3 years ago and have found DYWM to be invaluable. I also have plantar fasciatis but have kept it under control with shoe inserts and regular icing. I do exercises daily to stretch and strengthen and have a warm up regime before playing. I have also found Fiji’s “Yoga for athletes “ to be an excellent class as it hits all the right spots that athletes feel.
As to your question if we’re doing ourselves more harm than good, I think that as tennis players( and probably others sports too) we are not good at resting from injuries to allow complete recovery but tend to play on when we should be resting or gently stretching! I’ve had to take breaks of several months from playing due to different injuries, but each time learn something new about my body. It does take time and I guess that’s a personal decision to decide if it’s worth it. I play with many people who are in 60 and 70s and I think it is about taking care of your body so you can play. It’s good for the mind too! Hope this had been helpful.
Hi Liz, Thank you so much for taking the time to write. In the past I have never needed to take such a long break from my tennis activities. I suppose this injury really got me thinking, especially because it is so painful and debilitating. I am so thankful for DYWM. It has gotten me through the time off from tennis and platform tennis and I am thinking that if I do return to playing, which I am getting antsy and believe I will. I want to set an intention to be more mindful of the amount I play and take the time to rest and not play everyday, especially competetive team matches 2 days in a row! I am hopeful I will be able to discipline my court time, especially now that I am totally in love with yoga and learning everyday.
I will definitely try Fiji’s class for athletes. Thank you for the tip!