Working Out with an Injury
When you have a regular workout routine, whether an athlete or not, it is often hard to know how to deal with the disruption that occurs when you have an injury. You may worry about losing your progress or deconditioning. “An injury can be frustrating, to say the least! hindering your progress and your flow in the gym. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up on everything. You just have to be smart! Leg injury? Focus on upper body and core. Shoulder injury? Focus on legs and cardio. The important part is to find things you can do that do not exacerbate the injury and let it continue to heal. When you feel ready, take it slow getting back into using the injured body part because going too quickly only get you hurt again!” NexGen Fitness Director of Programing, Jenny Whatley.
Before continuing to exercise after an injury you should consult your physician to ensure you are not in danger of causing further harm. Staying active may help you heal faster than remaining inactive, but pushing yourself too far may result in reinjuring yourself and further delaying recover. Once you are cleared to resume exercise there are ways you can continue to be active without aggravating your injury.
· Avoid activities that put strain on the injured area. Listen to your body and don’t push through pain to your injured area.
· Start slow. Warm up prior to activity and don’t neglect cooling down and stretching.
· Try something new. Maybe go swimming instead of running.
· Concentrate on your legs to give an arm injury time to heal.
· Set small goals to ensure that you can continue to be motivated by your progress and avoid discouragement.
Be patient with yourself. Take the time necessary to allow your body to fully heal. Ease yourself back into your normal routine and soon you will be back heading full steam down the path to achieving your fitness goals.