The Do’s and Don’ts of exercising with or just after an injury

Whether you are a competitive athlete, someone who exercises regularly to stay in shape or a couch potato, you will most likely have to deal with an injury that interrupts your routine at some point in your life.

Injury refers to the loss of function of a body part, such as a muscle strain, ligament sprain, tendonitis, or more serious issues like a fracture or ligament tear.

A lack of muscle strength, inflexibility, or imbalance can predispose you to injury. Injuries also occur as a result of overuse. The best ways to reduce the likelihood of injury are to stay fit, choose your activities wisely, utilize proper form, and participate in adequate warm-up, stretching, and cool-down sessions.

When an injury occurs, take action early. Ignoring pain often leads to injuries that are even more severe. Once an injury has eased, what are the guidelines to return to training? Let our instructor Neil explain.

‘Should I exercise with/just after having an injury?’

“There is no right or wrong answer, but the following would be my top five Do’s and Don’ts approaches to dealing with an injury and the aftermath;

Do’s

• Asses your injury with care before exercising, this will help you make the decision whether this it is a good idea to continue to exercise
• Drop weight and resistance on the first week back, taking a lighter approach when you first start back to exercise will help your body build back up to the level it was performing at prior to injury
• Look for alternate exercise you can perform because having a plan B for any exercise that may aggravate injury will help with avoiding certain Muscle groups
• Consult with doctor/physio to find out if your fit and healthy to exercise, this will give you the best advice on continuing to exercise and best explains the reason to/not continue exercise
• Workout with a partner to assist you when you’re finding your feet.

Don’ts

• Create new injuries; when you resume exercising it may lead to more injuries. Resting for extra few days/weeks will help you to come back stronger.
• Continue to exercise if it becomes uncomfortable and painful
• Punish your body due to missed exercising time. Having a few active recovery session (meaning lighter, less strenuous and lighter resistance) can assist on assessing on what stage of recovery you are at
• Expect to perform to the same level immediately focus on recovery
• Become Physiologically dependent on supports and muscle tape. Focusing on quick fixes of an injury will take the focus of exercise away.”

If you are recovering from an injury or have sustained a muscle strain, speak to a member of our Club Vitae team who can advise you on the best form of recovery to help you get back to training as soon as possible.