It can often feel like coming back from an injury is like starting scratch. Your body can be stiff from not being used, and you may feel like all your pre-injury fitness was all for nothing. Many people are eager to get back up to their original fitness and get back into the swing of things as quickly as possible, however, it’s not always about how quickly you can do it, it’s more about how successfully you can. You need to listen to your body and avoid feeling any pain, this is not a good sign and can mean you’re overdoing it and causing more damage than good repair.
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No matter what kind of injury you’ve experienced, whether it’s major surgery, a sprained ankle, from an accident or a simple muscle strain, you may sometimes need the help of professionals who are specialist in helping serious injury victims get back on their feet.
Have a look below at some of the ways you can help work towards getting fit again after an injury:
Stretch
It’s essential that you focus on stretching while you’re recovering from any injury, at times if you require immobilisation you will need to seek professional help in order to understand what stretching you can complete. If you have a doubt on how to choose the right equipment for those activities click here for more info.Unfortunately, immobilisation can lead to static muscles that become stiff and this can make it extremely difficult to recover quickly. Rather than allowing your muscles to break down and lose all their strength speak to your doctor about introducing some stretching exercises into your recovery process. Stretching will allow your injured muscles to stay fit and can sometimes ease you into starting activities again once your recovery is complete.
Take It Easy
When the time comes and you’re ready to get moving again, a good way to proceed is to do around twenty per cent less than you feel like you can do. If you’ve been out of action for a long time, you may even want to cut it down even more than that. You need to realise that even if you could run five miles before the injury without breaking a sweat, your body is not going to be at the same standards and therefore you will find it harder. You need to take your time and ease back into it. If you don’t you could risk seriously damaging the injured area and living with a lifelong problem that could of being avoided. You’re told be professionals to ease into things for a reason.
Don’t Do Nothing
On the other hand, doing nothing at all isn’t what your body needs either. How can you expect to recover if you don’t work through it? You should aim to find a happy medium and then work your way up from there. Notice if you have any pain and adjust your workouts to suit. If you need to complete pain-free exercises that also strengthen the affected areas speak to your doctor, personal trainer, or physical therapist. Starting with activities such as a gentle walk can be one of the best ways to get started and ease back into activity. Swimming is another great choice because it offers buoyancy and it can take a lot of pressure off of injured tissue and sore muscles. It is worth remembering that sore muscles is likely due to DOMS, or delayed onset muscle syndrome and that staying active, despite sore muscles, is key to building a strong fitness habit. You can, if you’re careful, do some strength training with very light weights. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you listen to your body and take lots of breaks. Pain means you should stop immediately. Over time, you’ll see growth and be able to do more and more activities.
Ice And Heat
This will depend entirely on what your doctor recommends. However, ice and heat can be very useful when recovering from an injury. Ice can help to prevent muscle soreness after working out and can also reduce any swelling that occurs. It’s also a great way to ease the pain. Heat can sometimes be more beneficial for older injuries, depending completely on what they are. Just keep your doctor informed and they will be able to advise you on which is best. While a hot-water bottle and ice are great, not handling them properly may lead to worsening the injury. That is why it is handy to have a massage ball with hot and cold inserts. The rollerball can be used as a deep tissue massager that is improved with hot or cold treatment to help relieve pain, inflammation, or loosen muscles.
Talk To Your Trainer Regularly
One of the best things you can do after an injury is to build up a good working relationship with a trainer. It not only helps you to get back into the swing of things but it also means they can build an understanding of what help you’re going to need. Not only this having a trainer to work with could give you really good motivation.
These are only a few tips to get you started on your way to recovery. Do you have any tips or advice that you can share in the comments section?
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awesome tips for recovery 🙂