According to the National Safety Council, in 2020 cycling accounted for about 426,000 of sporting injuries, closely followed by 378,000 injuries caused by exercise, with and without equipment.
Quite often, athletes and regular gym goers can be left feeling demotivated when they incur an injury, it can even completely destroy their passion for their chosen sport or favourite style of working out, especially if they’re required to be out of action for a long period of time. If you do have to take some time away from your fitness schedule due to an injury, the key is to stay as positive as you can, and to use this down time as an opportunity to learn more about the sport or training style you love. This will help you to prepare yourself to come back stronger than ever.
The strategies below will help you to manage the pain you’re facing if you do incur an injury. By following them, you’ll be able to get back on track with your fitness journey, and you’ll be able to continue enjoying the ton of benefits that come with consistently exercising.
To ice or not to ice
Over the years we have been taught that as soon as we incur an injury we should ice it. Recent studies are showing that this process could actually be delaying healing time which, in 2019, lead to ice being revoked from the injury management process. The latest and most comprehensive injury management process acronym is: PEACE & LOVE.
- Protection
- Elevation
- Avoid anti-inflammatory drugs
- Compression
- Education
&
- Load
- Optimism
- Vascularisation
- Exercise
Whilst the research surrounding icing an injury is forever changing, it is up to you if you choose to still use it. Icing is often used for sprains, strains, overuse injuries, and bruises. Remember if you’re icing, never let the ice sit directly on your skin, wrap it in a thin towel to avoid causing any damage to your skin.
Rest your injury
Your muscles and tissues naturally repair themselves as you sleep, so if you’re not getting a sufficient amount of rest each night, it’s going to be harder for your body to bounce back from an injury.
Though it may feel like you’re putting your sporting or fitness goals on pause, and like you’re destroying all the hard work you’ve been putting in, if you really want to get better fast, you need to be patient and give your body time to heal.
If you avoid these crucial rest periods, you could end up causing yourself a secondary injury which can sometimes be even worse than your primary injury. This is largely due to the body overcompensating to protect your already injured area. An example of this would be, someone with a moderate ankle sprain who only needs to rest for 1-2 weeks who tries to push through their injury could end up getting a stress fracture in their foot which could result in them having to take months off of training instead of a couple of weeks.
It’s easy for people to develop a nervous mindset during their time away from training, you might start doubting your ability to ever get back to the point you were at before you incurred your injury. Try to break through this thought pattern. Whilst resting is important, if you do it for too long, you can actually delay your recovery. Quite often, movement is also the cure to your pain.
Depending on how severe your injury is, it is recommended that you try to slowly introduce mobility exercises back into your life. Mobility and movement encourages blood flow to the area that is injured.
Let’s take an injured back as an example, initially you will need to lie down as much as possible, but avoid doing this for too long. The best thing you can do is, get yourself to a point where you can move your back like normal again. Practising basic mobility exercises and breathing exercises within the home environment can help get you back into the gym where you will be able to eventually perform more controlled exercises. Ensure that you gradually introduce loaded movements back into your routine.
Remember to move slowly and at a pace that suits you. This will help you to eventually get back to the point you were prior to your injury.
Assess the severity of your injury
Before you become overwhelmed by your injury, ensure you find out how extreme it actually is. You might be surprised to learn that you’re able to modify the way you workout instead of having to stop completely.
If you’ve incurred a knee injury for example, depending on the severity, you may still be able to work on your upper body by switching your program to a sit-down routine. It might be challenging, but if you can figure out how to exercise while seated or lying down, this will put a lot less pressure on your injured joint or muscle. Once your injury is starting to heal, targeting the knee and surrounding areas with strength exercises could help you avoid incurring a repeat injury.
If you are able to switch up your usual workout routine or sporting practice, but you’re still feeling pain, stop immediately, otherwise you will cause yourself more damage. Always seek professional help if you’re unsure how to modify your workouts or if your injury is causing you too much pain.
Address the cause of your injury
You might be using the correct form, avoiding overexertion and overuse but you’re still being hit with the same injury time and time again. If your chosen sport has resulted in you spraining your ankle on multiple occasions, or if your training program keeps leading you to incur knee injuries, this could be a sign that something more complex is causing your pain.
Taking the time out to better understand your body and what’s causing your injury is key here. For example, a sprained ankle or a knee injury may be caused by you not having good stability in your ankle or hip. It could also be caused by a lack of mobility in your hip. By targeting the issues that are causing your injury, and incorporating mobility and strengthening exercises into your sport or training program, you could reduce the chance of getting injured in the future.
If regular injuries are disrupting your sporting or fitness journey, or crushing your motivation, the Evolve team is here to help you.
We have been working with a range of athletes, from MMA fighters to footballers, in both 1:1 sessions and in group sessions. Our strength and conditioning coaches increase a rising athlete’s chances of excelling in their chosen sport. We help them to develop their existing skills and we also help to identify and improve areas of weakness that could result in injury.
If the gym is your favourite place to workout, the Evolve team will provide you with the tools and guidance you need to avoid injury and to progress towards your goals. You will be offered a free consultation where your chosen personal trainer will get to know you as an individual, your background, capabilities and what your goals are.
Get in touch with us today to find out more.