Injured? How to Stay Fit

When you get an injury, navigating a fitness regime becomes daunting. It feels nearly impossible to lose weight, promote flexibility, and maintain muscle mass. Nevertheless, with these instructive hints making health goals a reality, even when hurt, is possible.

While resting up while healing is crucial, those who are unfamiliar with having severe injuries are usually surprised to learn that exercising is also a critical part of healing. There is no other way to maintain, much less gain, fitness without it, so let's get moving!

Before we get started, remember that it is crucial to consult your healthcare professionals like your orthopedic surgeon, chiropractor, and your physical therapist prior to any new, strenuous activities. Listen to their concerns, take notes, and ask for a copy of exercise diagrams to use for reference during your workout routine.

When being active, keep reminding yourself that the last thing you want to do is hurt yourself even more. Physical fitness, when hurt, is about progress and not about achieving perfection.

Start small and use light resistance, no incline, low impact, and slow and steady reps. And, since injuries restrict certain kinds of motions, be ever mindful to reign yourself in if you are inadvertently jostling your injury.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by having to learn all new movements? The good news is, it is entirely possible to modify the exercises you already know and are familiar with to accommodate your injury. Find out more about how to work out safely with your particular injury with these tips.

Spinal Column Injuries

For instance, those with spinal injuries like bulging or herniated discs should skip the sit-ups or crunches and go with an isometric core muscle exercise called the plank. For cardio, avoid high impact activities like running and use swimming, elliptical machines, or ride a recumbent bicycle instead.

Shoulder, Hand, and Arm Injuries

Focus on working out your lower body by doing leg presses, lunges, wall sitting, or use your body weight to do squats. To get your heart rate up, go for a brisk walk outside or on a treadmill, ride a stationary bicycle, or use a stair-stepping machine.

Knee, Foot, and Leg Injuries

For strength training, consider doing bench presses and using free weights, kettlebells, and medicine balls to tone up your upper body. A stereotype for those with a hurt leg is that cardio is notoriously tricky. Great solutions are using an upper-body ergometer, also known as an arm bike, or using a rowing machine while isolating and keeping weight off the injured foot or ankle.

Without a doubt, keeping active is the way to go when it comes to getting well. As you can see, even though you may feel immobilized, there are still plenty of exercise options from which you can choose. So, take a baby step towards recovery by working up a light sweat today. Your body will thank you!