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The Ultimate Guide to Working Out with an Injury

October 31, 2016

By: Ali Adcock

It can happen to anyone and sometimes without even knowing. We set a goal and push ourselves until we accomplish our goal and sometimes an injury can result from training too hard. You’re in pain, but still want to work out so how do you make that happen?

Though you want to just stick it out and push through, you’ll end up injuring yourself even worse if you don’t give it time to heal completely. It is okay to train through the pain sometimes, but never okay if it is a serious injury. If you don’t want to miss out on a significant amount of time away from the gym, we have a few tips on how to stay in shape while letting an injury heal.

Know When to Stop

It’s important to understand the difference in a pain from working out and a pain from an injury.  If you have consistent pain in a certain region over a significant amount of time, it’s probably best to see a doctor. Always proceed on the side of caution, you don’t want to turn a minor injury into a serious one. With that being said, it’s important to know when to work through the pain as well. If you are running or lifting and experience sore muscles that’s more than likely a pain that you can work through.

How to Treat an Injury

If you have a minor injury and are still capable of working out, it’s important to take care of it to prevent it from becoming a major injury. The RICE method is a great way to treat your injury. What is the RICE method? R- Rest, I- Ice, C- Compression, E- Elevate. Ice helps reduce swelling and provides short term pain relief. It’s best to ice in 15 minute intervals, 15 minutes on then 15 minutes off. Compression and elevation are also used to help to reduce swelling. First ice, then wrap in a bandage followed by elevating the injury above your heart for the best results in reducing swelling.

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Use Lighter Weights and Proper Form

If you plan to stick to your workout through an injury, it’s best to modify your workout so there’s less strain on your body. If you’re used to lifting heavy weights with less reps then it would be best to switch to lighter weights with more reps while injured. Make sure you’re concentrating on your reps and keeping it slow to avoid accelerating the pain. One of the most common reasons for injury is lack of proper form, so it’s imperative to understand the correct technique in order to avoid injury.

Remember, if your pain is persistent for months you could have a serious injury that needs medical attention, so be sure to understand the type of pain you’re in and know how to treat it. Stay up to date on more health and fitness tips by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. To learn more about our club management software and billing services text DATATRAK to 87365, for Canadian numbers text to 88988.

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