An injury can leave you out of commission for weeks or months. If you’re used to working out on a regular basis, and then you suddenly can’t participate in activities you enjoy, you may feel frustrated and eager to get back to the way things were before you got hurt.
Rushing to return to your old workout routine can aggravate your injury and may leave you on the sidelines even longer. Follow your doctor’s advice and, most importantly, listen to your body.
Eat Healthy and Move While You Recover
Nutrition is important when working out, and eating healthy can also help with your recovery process. Avoid sweets and processed foods as much as possible and fill your diet with healthy foods that will give your body the nutrients it needs to recover from your injury.
Before you try to get back into an exercise regimen, focus on being more physically active at home. Walking around the house and performing ordinary household activities can help you stay flexible, use your muscles, explore what your body is capable of doing and figure out when you’re ready to start exercising again.
Talk to Your Doctor
The type of injury you had will dictate the amount of time you should wait before you start exercising again and how long it will take to return to your old workout routine. A knee or back injury that requires surgery is obviously much more serious than a pulled muscle, so you should expect your road to recovery to be longer and tougher.
Your physician understands the full extent of your injury, how much progress you have made in your recovery and what limitations you currently have. Discuss your goals and abilities, and ask for specific advice on what exercises you should and shouldn’t do.
Your doctor may recommend that you start out with activities like walking or swimming to minimize the stress on your body as you get back into shape. Your physician may also advise you to perform specific stretching or weight training exercises to help you ease back into your old routine and to use ice and/or heat to ease sore muscles.
Don’t Push Yourself Too Hard
If you’ve missed working out, you may be eager to jump right back in, but that could be a costly mistake. Your body simply may not be able to do things that it used to do easily, no matter how badly you want it to.
Go at a slower and lighter pace than you did before you got injured and see how you feel. Take breaks when you need them. If you feel pain, your body is telling you to stop immediately. Pay attention so you don’t hurt yourself again.
Patience is essential when starting to exercise again after an injury. Your body will need time to get back to its prior fitness level. Rushing the process will likely set you back even further. Be sure to take your time, talk to your doctor and listen to your body.
