Maintain Fitness Through an Injury

By: Tammy Bryant

Before doing any exercises after an injury, it is very important to get the approval and recommendations of your physician or therapist before you resume your workouts. They may recommend working with a fitness trainer to make sure that proper technique is being done at the beginning or until you are strong enough to return on your own.

There are many things that figure into injuries. One of which is caused from weak muscles which are not ready to handle the specific demands of your workouts. For example, when a person starts a running program for the first time, they often do very well for the first few weeks. When they start to add the mileage on, they suddenly develop problems in their ankle and feet. Hamstring soreness and or perhaps even lower back pain also occur. Their body is telling them that it is not strong enough for the demands of the increased training load. If you add a resistance training workout to your running program, it will help condition your body to better handle the running and other daily demands. Weight training can fortify muscles and joints and make them less susceptible to injury.

If you have injured a body part or joint, there are ways that you can still workout. One of which is through a process called cross-training. A proper technique such as full range of motion is very important to preventing injury or re-injury to connective tissue, joints, and muscles. The exercises should be done in a manner that simulates the actual activity. This may require a modified use of some exercise equipment.

To prevent injury, some common tips are necessary to follow. Avoid training when you are tired, increase carbohydrates for heavy training periods, introduce new activities gradually, and always warm up and cool down. These are just a few tips to help. If you are still experiencing problems then it might be wise to set up some time with a personal trainer for some professional guidence.

For a free consultation, I can be reached at 941-729-6900 or e-mail at tammy@electrahealthclub.com.

I wish you all the best of luck with all of your fitness goals.