Let’s face it – no matter how careful we are in our lives, injuries can happen!
Which is why we need to understand how to deal with injuries at a physical and emotional level and learn out how to get back on track with our health and fitness goals after sustaining one.
This blog is part one of two! Today, we will be sharing our tips on what to do with an acute injury and in part two, we will talk more about chronic pain.
Keep reading to find out out tips to help you get moving again!
Getting hurt is frustrating. An injury, whether it’s a small one or a big one, can feel like a major set back to our goals or the gains we have made in our fitness journey.
They can also be scary and lead to trauma, causing us to fear movement or worry about getting hurt again. It can change the way that we view ourselves, our bodies and our capabilities.
For years when we got hurt, we were told to rest, ice, compress and elevate (RICE). We were told to slow down, to stop moving and avoid doing anything to further aggravate the injury.
After decades of telling patients with injuries or pain to take it easy, medical professionals are now starting to change their tune by prescribing light movement instead.
This is something that we embrace at Loyobo FIT. In order to heal, your body needs to move.
In a recent article for The University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Jennifer Robinson outlines why she changed her sports medicine practice to adopt movement instead of RICE as the gold standard for treating physical injury: “Excluding fractures, cord or catastrophic injuries, I get patients moving post-injury and doing range of motion exercises as soon as possible.”
This is because gentle movement at the beginning of an injury decreases the build up of buildup of scar tissue within a joint (for joint-related injuries) or within the muscle/tendon (for muscle/tendon-related injuries.) It also increases blood flow and oxygen to the injured area which reduces the chance of developing tissue atrophy and stimulates healing.
It also helps with the fear. It shows you that your body is still strong and capable.
Of course, you never want to go hard right after an injury or ignore pain. But you don’t necessarily have to stay in bed either, which in fact can sometimes make the injury or pain worse!
Getting an expert opinion is extremely important to understand the extent and nature of your injury and figuring out a course of action for healing and recovery.
How to start moving after an acute injury
A gentle walk is one of the best ways to get started and ease back into activity. Swimming is another great option because it offers buoyancy and takes a lot of pressure off the injured joints and muscles. Gentle yoga stretches and rehabilitative Pilates exercises can help increase range of motion and keep the core strong, so join us for a Functional Pilates Class, Loyoga or Mind/Body Unwind!
Start with a few minutes every day and slowly build up your routine. A good guideline is to start at about 50% of what you would normally do and increase only 10 – 15% each week – make sure to monitor your injury after each work-out to avoid a flare-up.
BONUS – Try this FREE VIDEO for a short yoga practice to stretch out your muscles!
Cross training or doing a variety of activities that move your body is very important. This will enable you to stay fit while the part of your body that’s injured regains strength. It can also help prevent future injuries.
Remember, injuries are not permanent. Your body will heal and you will be able to progress with time and patience.
Mentally prepping yourself
Once your injury has settled, take some time to think about the injury itself and what may have caused it. Talk to your doctor, physical therapist or trainer to see if there’s anything you need to do differently when returning to exercise.
Perhaps you want to spend more time warming up and stretching after your work-out routine. Maybe you were pushing yourself too hard. Were you giving your body enough time to rest and recover? Is there repetitive behaviour or movement patterns in your life that may be putting you at risk?
Whatever the answer may be, please know that you didn’t do anything “wrong”. Injuries are a part of life and a reminder to be grateful for our bodies and all that they do for us. Finding some time to reflect will only help you become better and allow you to move with mindfulness.
If you need help with some of these questions, remember that our team is here for you and we can help! Book a one on one session with one of our trainers or coaches who can help support you through this self-discovery process.
Dealing with the emotional cost of injuries
Apart from the physical pain, injuries can lead to a lot of mental anguish – self-blame, fear, anxiety.
Many of us experience pain past the initial injury mostly because of mindset issues and fear around the initial trauma. Stay positive and keep reminding yourself that most injuries are temporary.
Believe in the strength of your body and know that it has the capacity to heal.
A great way to deal with the emotional cost of injuries is to give yourself the permission to move as soon as your doctor or physical therapist gives you the go-ahead, and also finding creative ways to move that don’t impact the injury while we heal!
A little discomfort is ok but pain is not. Listen to your body and do what feels good. This might mean a bit of change to your routine. Trying classes that aren’t normally on your schedule or using modifications – like staying seated or adding props! Keep an open mind and a playful attitude – this is an opportunity for you to learn and explore!
Our bodies speak to us all day long, telling us what they need to stay healthy, comfortable, and happy. The easiest way to connect to your body is by using a combination of breath and sense of touch. Begin by putting your hand over your heart. Notice how your heart beats under your palm, and how your chest rises and falls with each breath you take. Now, tune into your body and what it’s telling you.
Notice areas that might be feel stiff or sore? Do you notice a difference between your right and left side? Is one side more tight than the other? Are there any parts that are feeling achy and anxious?
Exercise formats such as yoga and Pilates are great for building body awareness, observing sensations and connecting with our breath so make them a part of your exercise routine. Click here to sign up for our Functional Pilates class or join one of our LoYoga classes!
Meditating a few minutes every day and visualizing the injured part of your body healing and become stronger can also speed up the recovery process. Try this FREE brief meditation for positivity and stress relief.
Repeating the following affirmations every day will also be helpful:
I give myself permission to heal
I let go of my perceived pain
I am happy, healthy and strong
Returning to class (aka. -group fitness)!
The hardest part about dealing with injuries is the loss of routine and the feeling that you will lose all the strength you worked so hard to build.
Your body has a wonderful muscle memory which gets activated once you start exercising again. It might take some time, but with consistency you’ll get back to where you started from and find that you are able to achieve more because of an increased focus on safety and alignment!
If joining a group fitness class seems daunting, start off with one of our On-Demand Replays. This way you can hit pause when you need to rest or move at a pace that feels comfortable for your body.
Setting up a one on one training session with one of our coaches will do wonders for increasing your confidence and finding options that feel supportive and do-able. They can work with you to create a plan specific to your injury, to set up a daily movement schedule to increase your strength and mobility while avoiding movements that can aggravate the injury. Get more information about our one-on-one training here and sign up a session by clicking on the link below:
We often get asked if you should pause your membership after experiencing an injury, and the answer does vary. For most cases though, the answer is NO! Keeping your membership allows you to stay connected to the community, access & attend the monthly coaching calls, live cooking sessions, socials AND it helps you to keep your routine as much as possible, by focusing on your health and movement.
It can sometimes be really hard to get back into your routine when you walk away completely (even if you think its just for a short period of time!). Staying as consistent as possible will help you return to normal and heal faster.
Here are a few situations where you may want to consider pausing:
Your physician or family doctor advises you against ALL movement and/or exercise
You have an incision that could be re-opened or aggravated by movement
Otherwise, just believe in your self , trust your body’s ability to heal and keep on moving! It may not look like your ideal situation or how it normally looks, but with an open mind and a playful attitude – amazing things can happen! Your body is capable of so many things and it just might surprise you, if you let it.
And stay tuned! Part two will be coming soon, where we will look more at chronic pain and long-term injuries.
Questions? Make sure to leave a comment below!