Speaking from some experience here, it is never in your best interest to stop moving completely when injured unless you are absolutely told not to. When I twisted my ankle a few months ago it was excruciatingly painful but once I got through the first few weeks of letting it rest and heal, I had to keep it mobile to avoid having my ankle stiffen from lack of movement. What’s worse is when you are on an upward swing with your workout to then get injured. You don’t want to lose all that momentum but you also don’t want to make matters worse. So, what does one do? Check out some of our tips. Please remember this is NOT medical advice just us speaking from our own experience.
Go through the motions: Before you go ahead and resume your regular scheduled workouts, walk through the motions slowly and pay attention to how you feel. By doing this you can ensure you do not injure yourself further. Not only should you go through the motions that directly target the injured area but you also need to go through motions that the area acts as an accessory for. For example, an exercise that predominantly targets your legs could still effect an injured arm as the arm can be used to gain momentum throughout the exercise.
Keep tabs on your nutrition and rest: in order for your injury to heal, you need to decrease inflammation. You will want to ensure your diet is packed with anti-inflammatory rich foods. Less processed, spicy and fried foods and more fruits and vegetables. You also want to make sure you are getting more rest at night to give your body time to heal. Being rested also helps you stay alert during the day and will avoid you injuring yourself further.
Train light: Sometimes when you injure yourself you feel like you have returned to ground zero. ITS OK! It’s better to train no weight or light weight than to train heavy and hurt yourself further. Instead switch to high rep low weights/no weights to still get the most from your workout and to also give the injured area some consistent movement to help accelerate healing.
Take your time: If getting back to the gym straight away is not in the cards for you then don’t force it. Make sure to rest, ice the affected area, use compression and elevate the injury (RICE).
Stay positive: Injuries SUCK and they are not welcome! But do not beat yourself up over it. There will always be small roadblocks and maybe big ones! But you will recover if you stay positive and optimistic. You will get back to where you were and you will be better! Stay dedicated to your goals and don’t let anything succeed in derailing you!
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