Training with an injury

At some point in our lives, an injury will pop up that prevents us from training the way we want to. Let’s talk about how you can continue to move and train when you are injured. As a note before we dive in, if you are injured, your coaches always want to know about it! We care about your well-being and recovery, and we don’t want to make your injury worse while at the gym. If your doctor says you shouldn’t exercise, let us know and we’ll work with your doctor to come up with a plan to get you back into training as you recover.

If you are injured or notice a certain movement during a workout causes pain, the first thing you should do is stop and tell your coach. We also encourage you to reach out to your coach prior to your workout and we will come up with a game plan for your training. A good coach is able to make adjustments to exercises so you are able to perform them without any pain. Coaches can make modifications to movements so they feel better on your joints, or if something is really hurting, we can focus on exercises that work different parts of your body and give the injured area time to heal. For example, if you tweaked your right shoulder and doing overhead exercises aggravates it, we could do overhead exercises with dumbbells held in your left hand and let your right shoulder rest, or we could switch gears and only include lower body exercises. 

One of the biggest reasons we recommend continuing to train while you are injured is that it helps you maintain your routine. Think about a recent vacation you took and how it felt coming back to reality and trying to get back into your gym routine. Was it a challenge? If you are injured and continue to go to the gym when you normally do, you won’t have to deal with the mental struggle down the road of trying to get back into a good routine. Keep the momentum going. Your health does not need to be put on hold because of an injury. 

Another huge advantage of training while you’re injured is that it allows you to incorporate movement into your days, even if it’s minimal. Even if your injury only allows you to bike or work on physical therapy exercises, getting some form of movement is so much better than nothing. A little bit goes a long way, and when you are injured or coming back from an injury, routine and movement are some of the best ways to stay consistent. Movement is medicine, and we are here to help you continue to safely show up for yourself, even if you are injured.

Interested in learning more about how our training programs can help aid in your recovery process? Head here to schedule a Free Fitness Consultation with one of our coaches.