So many of us get
injured and have questions and concerns about how we should approach
ramping up our activity levels to pre-injury levels after we start feeling better. So I thought I'd
make some general rules to follow. Trainers, I'd suggesting posting
this on your gym wall so your client have some future reference.
Rules to Return to Activity After Injury
Rule #1 - Get yourself checked out by a sports medicine professional.
This is their expertise, you don't want to end up hurting yourself
further or again. This will significantly speed up the process.
Rule #2 - If you feel pain, don't do it. Don't even do a
movement in which you even 'feel' the affected area, without pain. I
think you know what I'm talking about. When you exercise in pain, you
will automatically compensate. Why is that a bad thing? I'll explain
later.
Rule #3 - Start with non-weight bearing, non-painful exercises. This
might include rowing, or swimming, walking, cycling, or elliptical. Getting
some serious blood flow to a recently injured area can do great things
as far as speeding up this whole process.
Rule #4 - Next step, body weight exercises. This could include
push ups, or air squats, lunges, pull ups, etc. Make sure you're doing
full range of motion. Don't move on to the next step until you have
full range of motion.
Rule #5 - Don't add weight until you perform the most provocative
movement (if it hurts to squat, squatting would be the provocative
movement) with just bodyweight, pain-free without any asymmetries of any
kind. Ask your local trainer or a gym friend that you know has a great
deal of knowledge of exercise and technique. Have them evaluate your
movement from all angles.
Rule #6 - Work the opposite extremity - If the injury is
to your right foot, workout the left foot while you're recovering. This
works for the upper extremity as well. Studies show that the more this
is done, the less atrophy and muscle wasting occur of the injured extremity.
Rule #7 - DON'T COMPENSATE!!!!! - This is the biggest one. It
should be number one. "I can run if I just step towards the outside of
my foot" or "I have to extend one arm before the other". This is huge.
When you compensate you rapidly start wearing down other parts of your
body. Don't do it. That's why you want a trainer to make sure that
your exercise movement is completely symmetrical.
Rule #8 - Perform other exercise/activity. This is a great time
to do some kind of cross training. Performing exercises you wouldn't
normally perform (as long as they are completely pain and compensation
free) is a great way to workout and diversify your program. I.e. if it
hurts to swim, then jog...or if it hurts to do cleans, do snatches. Explore some yoga!
Rule #9 - Don't wear braces. Now take this with a grain of salt. Sometimes they are necessary in the
short term. However, braces create stability for joints which is good
for acute injuries, however it creates 2 things that we don't want. #1-
dependence on the brace. Since it's creating stability in that joint,
your muscles don't have to stabilize and the stronger you get, the more
dependent you will become leaving the door open to future injury. #2 -
Braces limit your flexibility in that joint which, in the long term,
will create more compensation in surrounding body parts.
I hope this is helpful. For anyone wanting to know if they are ready to
return to exercise, please call my office at 561.997.8898 or email me
at drscotthoar@gmail.com. To check out more visit
www.Mobility-4Life.com
