Nagging injuries can disrupt your regular routine by causing pain during exercise. However, don’t let it dampen your motivation. There are still ways to stay active, in fact, most doctors and sports medicine specialists recommend continuing to exercise after an injury. Early mobilization is shown to decrease pain, swelling and stiffness. Furthermore, staying active results in an earlier return-to-work and an increased range of motion. Even if you can’t do your favourite exercises, there are always viable alternates you can follow while recovering. Your exercise routine must be at the ideal level based on your injury. Before returning to exercise after your injury, consult with your doctor and remember to never push yourself to the point of unreasonable pain or injury. Here are some tips and suggestions for staying active during rehabilitation.
Reintroducing exercise into your daily life:
- Take it slow: your body communicates with your brain for every movement you make. Each action requires your brain, muscles and nerves to work together. Give yourself time for this communication to build up again. Communication weakens over time with prolonged disuse. However, it can be strengthened. This can be a long process, be patient. Give yourself time and plenty of opportunities to try again. The brain and body are incredible – you will relearn again.
- Start by walking: walking is gentle on the body. Swimming is another great low-impact option. You don’t need to go overboard; the point of staying active is just to get moving!
- Work your way up: you may feel very eager to return to physical activity following an injury, this is natural. But pushing yourself beyond your body’s limits can result in re-injury. To begin, limit your efforts to 20% less than what you think you can do. Gradually work your way up from there when you feel ready. Taking it slow and working your way up will also help keep you motivated in the recovery process.
- Consider rehabilitation: consult with a physiotherapist, a kinesiologist or and/an occupational therapist. These professionals will provide you with a step-by-step program to get back to your target physical fitness. For example, a physiotherapist will assess your ability level and create a customized plan based on the type of injury, your fitness goals, and your personal history. A kinesiologist will provide a complete muscular evaluation, determine weak muscle areas, identify imbalances and create a program for you.
- Include rest and recovery: staying active is important, but remember to give yourself breaks so that your body has a chance to recover and heal.
Exercises for some common injuries:
- Knee injuries: if you are experiencing knee pain, the knee itself may not be the cause of pain. Knee pain is often a symptom of the knee being the weakest link in the chain. Any many times the root of knee pain is a lack of hip strength. Try cross training or using an elliptical machine instead of a treadmill or outdoor running. An elliptical machine causes less joint compression, which normally aggravates pain from osteoarthritis in the knees, hips, or ankles.
- Lower back pain: the remedy for lower back pain in the past has been bed rest. Now, it is common practice to stay active during rehabilitation. Try brisk walking while swinging the arms back and forth. This keeps the muscles and the joints of the spine mobile and reduces compressive forces. To strengthen the core, try planks rather than sit-ups to prevent strain of the lower back.
- Neck injuries: in the past, neck collars were used after a neck injury. This prolonged recovery. Now, it is acceptable to have some movement with a little bit of pain.
- Shoulder pain: shoulder pain is a common injury for weight lifters. Try using dumbbells instead of barbells, use lighter weights than what you’re used to, and exercise with a shorter range of motion. Remember to keep your elbows closer to your body to reduce strain on the shoulders.
No matter what injury you are recovering from, there is likely still a safe and efficient way to exercise during rehabilitation. In fact, staying active will help you speed up your recovery process. Speak with your doctor today to discuss some exercise strategies.