According to a recent study in gym environments, over 4 in 10 gym-goers have hurt themselves whilst working out. Injuries are more likely to occur for individuals who train by themselves, as they may lack proper form or advice to stay safe. Additionally, gym-goers are also at risk when they work out in a crowded area, as they could accidentally injure someone near them or get hurt while trying to avoid others.
One of the most common causes of injuries at the gym, however, remains the lack of mental focus. Indeed, being stressed out or short on time can affect your approach to training. You may want to save time by skipping warming up altogether or performing movements faster than required. The mind must be as engaged as the body when you are working out to ensure you can avoid risks.
Unfortunately, as injuries are frequent, it is sometimes tough to avoid them even if you are being cautious. So how do you recover your strength and health after a sports injury?
Take a break from your routine
As tempting as it can be to maintain your workout routine for fear of losing muscle strength or mobility, you must stay away from the gym at the start of the recovery journey. Indeed, it will serve many purposes:
- Avoid compensating in one side or limb for fear of pain
- Avoid making the injury worse
- Provide time and energy to your body for partial healing
Staying active is important, as the blood can help bring nutrients to the weakened and injured area, speeding up the healing process. But you need to adapt your exercises to account for the injury.
Reach out to specialist therapists
Physical therapists can help you through the healing journey, ensuring you can recover your strength and mobility. Therapists are also keen to help their patients identify potential issues, such as existing weaknesses that might have prompted the initial injuries. You can benefit from targeted exercises and techniques, such as blood flow restriction training from physical therapists, to build up muscle strength in isolated areas. This can be a useful approach to promote muscle growth in the area for injury recovery and injury prevention.
Therapy can also provide a personalized exercise routine to increase mobility, range of motion, and flexibility during the recovery period.
Have a recovery-focused diet
Your body needs nutrients to heal after an injury; therefore, it’s essential to make time for a proper and healthy diet. Lean meat can provide plenty of healthy proteins, which are crucial for muscle fibers. You can also add vitamins from fruits and vegetables, as they will support your immune system and bring nutrients to the injury spot. Vitamin C, for instance, present in bell peppers, oranges, and broccoli, can reduce inflammation and improve your body’s ability to retain muscles. Omega-3 fatty acids also play an active role in inflammation reduction, speeding up the healing process.
Helping your body recover can be a long journey, depending on the complexity of the injury. Your doctors and physical therapists will help you monitor your results and move along the journey at your own pace. A healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet is instrumental in supporting your body. But, more often than not, patience, consistency, and mindfulness are just as crucial to recovery.
