Getting back to the gym after an injury is not a one-step process. Recovery includes various procedures including active rehabilitation, specific exercises, using cold and heat and the change of diet. All these can greatly facilitate post-injury rehabilitation.
See Your Doctor
First and foremost, do not avoid visiting a doctor. It is fairly common to think that exercise can get you out of problem. On the contrary, it can only make everything worse.
If a muscle or a muscle group is not repaired, it cannot tolerate even minor stresses. The more you challenge your tissue, the more bed rest you will need.
Must Read: How to Avoid Injury When Working Out
Active Rehabilitation
Another reason why asking advice from a doctor is avoided is the belief that rehabilitation equals complete bed rest. It is understandable that you do not want to throw away the fitness results you were working hard for. With professional help, there is not the slightest chance you will get out of shape.
As we have previously mentioned, your fitness routine, as well as your calorie intake will change to accommodate your new condition. Finally, rehabilitation programmes not only restore range of motion, but they also minimize the risk of recurrent injuries.
Focus On Stretching First
Doing regular exercises such as squats, deadlifts, row and bench presses if you are injured can rob you of not only further workouts, but of everyday activities such as walking and running, as well. You should seriously reconsider your view on training during rehabilitation.
After you have restored pain-free movement, graduate exercises are the only way for you to recover completely.
Low-intensity exercises are crucial during the recovery period as they keep the blood flowing throughout the tissue helping you to recover faster. If you are on your own, light stretching exercises lasting around 20 seconds every hour or two are a good start. However, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching is one of the most common procedures in clinical environments.
After stretching, you can start with more difficult exercises in the form of conditioning to prevent muscle atrophy.
Lastly, total body fitness is an extremely important step in the rehabilitation process as it helps you maintain endurance, strength and flexibility.
Use Cold And Heat
Cold can be used as an immediate treatment and after exercises and training. Cold packs applied to the injured area after exercising help relax muscles during rehabilitation. Additionally, ice can be useful with pain relief. You can use ice packs, ice wrapped in a towel, or you can have cold baths.
Heat, on the other hand, is not recommended as an immediate treatment, but it can stimulate the blood flow as it causes blood vessels to dilate. Heat also promotes mobility and movement during rehabilitation. You can apply heat on the injured area in the form of a wheat bag, heat pads, deep heat cream, hot water bottles, or heat lamps.
Also See: 5 Ways to Treat a Wrist Injury Caused by Weight Lifting
Change Your Diet
Coupled with all these procedures we have mentioned, proper nutrition is essential in the healing process. The body requires energy to heal the injury, which can be observed through the increase of the metabolic rate after the injury. The key to faster healing lies in a balanced diet with a slight change of your usual calorie intake as you do not work out as you used to.
Your diet should include proteins (for men, two protein portions, for women, one protein portion for each meal), fruits and vegetables (one cup), whole grains (whole oats, whole grain rice, sprouted grain breads and quinoa), nuts, seeds and oils (olive oil, mixed nuts, avocados, flax oil and ground flax).
When it comes to gym supplements, they can stimulate the recovery process and prevent further injury. The main supplements, which should be used 2-4 weeks after injury are vitamin A (10,000 IU on a daily basis), vitamin C (1g-2g per day) and zinc (15-30mg per day).
To sum up, contacting your doctor is the first thing you should do. Only then can you implement the changes we recommended.
