Be careful: 6 ways to train through injuries

Here is a list of what things to keep in mind if you choose to continue working out while recovering from injury

It can happen to the best of us. We train as hard as we can, push our bodies to the limits, and those nagging aches and pains always somehow manage to turn into an injury. What to do? Most of us will probably want to “gut it out” and continue training. While it is okay to train through pain, it is never okay to train through a serious injury.

If you have an injury, you’ll probably want to do whatever you can to make sure you don’t miss a workout, but this can result in a catch-22 situation.  Compiled from Bodybuilding.com and Breakingmuscle.com, here is a list of what things to keep in mind if you choose to continue working out while you’re recovering from a minor injury.

1- Train with lighter weights and higher reps

If you are training through a slight injury and are directly working the affected area, it is recommended to use lighter weights and higher repetitions. Don’t jerk or throw the weight around; instead, use slower, more concentrated reps, and feel the target muscle so you don’t overstep the limitations of the injury and aggravate it.

By performing frequent, low-intensity exercises and higher reps, you can activate the injured area and accelerate the healing process by getting the muscles moving, especially if you do it early on after the injury.

2- Work around the pain

If you wish to continue working out, always try to find a way to work around the pain. For example, if you have an elbow problem, you may want to try using alternative movements instead of regular movements. Try changing your grip on the weight, or see if alternative exercises for the same muscle group cause pain.

3- Use proper form

Training injuries can occur for a variety of reasons, but the most common reason is a failure to apply proper form when lifting. If you are already in pain, bad form will increase your injury risk even more.

So, get guidance from a certified trainer or make sure you get your form right before starting work out again. Keep in mind that your limbs can only move in certain ways, and contorting, jerking, or twisting, to lift a weight can put you at extreme risk.

4- Know when to tough it out

It is very important to know the difference between a real injury and pain. During a workout, you may tweak something and experience pain. Your initial reaction might be, “Ouch ... but OK, I’m not bleeding, let’s tough this out.” If you have pain, stop working out right there and evaluate your symptoms to check the severity, rest a little and then start over again. Don’t just try to walk it out and hope for the best.

5- Nutrition

This is very important, not only because nutrition is often underrated and overlooked, but also because it’s likely to be the most vital factor in injury recovery. While you can continue working out, remember to eat a bowl of fruits or greens before hitting the gym.  Healing from even a slight injury can take weeks or even months, but you can dramatically accelerate the healing process by getting adequate nutrition and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Avoid inflammation-promoting foods such as fried foods, processed white flour, eggplant, cayenne, tomatoes, potatoes, and hot peppers, and eat more foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids.high in important enzymes and vitamins that can speed up the healing process.

6- Don’t instigate more pains

If you are already dealing with a minor injury and continuing working out, be careful not to create more pains.  If you have a shoulder injury for example, be careful you do not cause other injuries or imbalances in your training. If your left shoulder is hurt and you spend three months only working your right arm and right shoulder, you are setting yourself up for future problems. It is not just your arms, but your back, hips, and legs that will be affected by this constant unbalanced unilateral movement. In this scenario, you are better of focusing on lower body and core exercises. Engage your coach in helping you choose appropriate exercises.

Compiled By: Manaal Khurram

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2016.

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