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A smashed toe is not happiness for anyone, but can prove disastrous for a fitness professional. Still, there are lessons to be learned!
By Nancy Bruning
It only takes a moment to transform your life. And it only took a moment to smash my toe and turn a confident, smiling (rushing) person into a screaming, writhing bundle of woe.
I wish I could say I broke my toe while skiing in Aspen. Or snorkeling in Cancun. Or climbing Mount Everest.
Alas, no: The portable radio on the ledge behind the door in my bathroom took a flying leap and landed on the aforementioned digit.
Yow! Yow!! Ow woweeyow!
This happened early on a Sunday. I sadly cancelled my flamenco dance class for that night. Really, I thought I was going to hop on the subway and do flamenco! And three days later, I had to turn around halfway to Fort Tryon Park and limp back home after stupidly thinking I could lead the Tuesday morning Nancercize fitness walking class.
Having broken toes many times before (I know what you’re thinking—won’t she ever learn to wear shoes around the house? Never!), I knew the drill: I elevated it, I iced it, I took arnica and then ibuprofen, and I stayed off it as much as possible. I wore sturdy shoes whenever I absolutely had to be mobile.
And by Thursday, I was able to actually walk to the park, meet my group, and implement my Plan B for the class. Instead of walking the entire perimeter of the park together, and stopping several times along the way to do our exercises, I would the class like an aged Russian ballet mistress: sitting down, barking orders while my students twirled and pushed and pulled and twisted and huffed and puffed all around me. After each exercise, I commanded them to walk in a circular path for about 7-10 minutes and then return to my bench for the next exercise. As I watched them receding into the distance, I thought: All I needed to complete the picture was a cane.
As it turned out, Plan B worked out really well. They split into two groups during the walk and one group decided to go faster – even jog a bit. This never happened when we were one large herd lumbering through the park at close to a uniform pace. So, that was good for them. Second, while they were walking, I was doing more exercises on the bench—exercises I couldn’t do with the class because they took up too much bench space or were beyond the level of the participants. I actually got a better workout too! So, that was good for me.
Not that I recommend getting an injury as a way to improve things for yourself or others. Although it drove me absolutely crazy to be unable to walk for a month or so, I somehow managed to lead the class and get a workout in for me, too. I missed teaching only one class. I overdid it only once, thinking I was further along the healing process than I was. Here’s the lesson: where there’s a will, there’s a way, and maybe the new way has advantages that the old way doesn’t. Of course, when you get sick or injured, you need to take it easy and modify your life for a while. But it’s nice to be clever about it and surprised by what you actually can do, as opposed to upset by what you can’t. That’s something to remember whether you have a cold or a broken toe.
Oh, and make sure that you have a cane on hand, for next time.
Nancy Bruning has a master’s degree in public health, is a certified personal trainer, and is the author or co-author of over 25 books on health and fitness. She’s hard at work on her next book, “Nancercize: 101 Things to Do on a Park Bench.” She also is the Chair of the Friends Committee of the Fort Tryon Part Trust and leads outdoor fitness experiences and weight loss workshops. Visit Nancy’s web site at www.NancyBruning.net, hear her at www.blogtalkradio.com/Nancercize, or email her at
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