Stay in Shape While Recovering From Injury
By Paul Rothbart
Exercise, training, and staying fit are wonderful things. Getting into a regular schedule can be exhilarating and obviously very good for physical and mental health. When that schedule is interrupted, it produces negative feelings. An injury can sidetrack a solid training routine for a time. You may be tempted to work through it, maintaining your set routine. The "walk it off" mentality is a bad idea. Believe me, I've had coaches who thought like that. All you will do is delay the healing process and, quite likely, make the injury worse. But you do not have to give up your level of fitness. Here are some ways to stay in shape while you recover.
Be Patient
Being patient is the first and most important thing to do. Anyone who has exercised regularly for any significant period of time has experienced injury. Listen to your medical professional and let the injury fully heal. Wait for clearance before resuming normal activities. The injury will heal faster and get you back in the game sooner. Find other ways to exercise that will not stress the injured body parts while you wait patiently to get back into top form.
Keep a Positive Attitude
This may seem difficult, but complaining constantly is not going to make you heal any faster and will have a negative impact on your alternative training activities. Focus on what you can do and not what is not possible at the moment. Remember, it's a temporary situation. Constant whining can also irritate your exercise partners and you need their support more than ever while injured. Put that energy into your revised training schedule.
Keep the Same Schedule
Although your activities have to be modified or changed altogether, there is no reason they can't be performed at the same time of day. If you are a runner who likes to get out early, go for a walk early. Hit the gym at the same time each day for your lighter weight workout. It will help you to feel like you are making progress. Often the ritual is every bit as important as the activity, so keep that schedule all the way through the healing process.
Find Alternative Exercises
What you are trying to do is get a workout without stressing the part of the body that is healing. Lower intensity exercise may be the answer. Instead of a hearty run, take a walk at a pace that will not aggravate the injured part. If you are a weight trainer, choose exercises that don't put a heavy load on the healing body parts. For example, if you have a lower body injury, perform seated exercises. There is enough variety to work around almost any injury.
Being injured and unable to perform our standard exercise regime can be frustrating and worrisome. No one wants a setback to fitness levels that were hard earned. By following these guidelines, you can stay in shape while healing fully. Then you can get back to your usual vigorous workouts.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor in The Joint Chiropractic in Hurst, Tex.