Continuing Fitness With Injury
Very few things are more frustrating than getting injured while training and having to discontinue your fitness program. It can be incredibly demotivating and can lead to de-conditioning or loss of fitness. It is, therefore, even more important to understand the nature and extent of your injury and determine an alternate plan that will keep you fit during recovery period.
Diet
Nutrition is the biggest part of anyone’s fitness plan. ‘You are what you eat.’ As you will probably not be training as hard as before getting injured, your metabolism will slow down. Cut down on caloric intake and instead focus on nourishing the body during recovery. Make smart food choices so you can get back on your fitness plan as soon as you heal and not undo all the work you had put in pre-injury.
Exercise
Use principles of cross training to exercise other muscles of your body if a part is injured and needs time to heal. Try and work on your core by doing plank pose, push-ups and crunches if you have injured your lower body. Low impact exercises like walking or swimming can keep you moving even with lower back Injuries. Always be conscious of your form and technique to avoid any more injuries.
Physical Therapy
Set up appointments with a physical therapist to prepare a recovery fitness program. Most of these programs would include both stretches and strengthening exercises and are the safest way to maintain fitness under professional supervision.
It is always critical to get your doctors approval before setting out on a fitness routine while nursing an injury. They’d be able to tell you what kind of recovery fitness plan would be best for you and when you can start getting back on your normal routine. It is as important to listen to your body and to figure out when you can tough it out and when to stop pushing. It is better to take a few days oft to recover than to get injured again and be off the fitness path for longer.