We have previously discussed how wearing the right shoes on the treadmill and stretching properly before and after a workout can help prevent injury. But is it okay to exercise if you do have an injury?
Can I Exercise if I Have an Injury?
In many cases, you will be able to undertake a modified form of your usual workout routine as your injury heals. However, we do recommend that you check in with your doctor to confirm that your injury does not require specialist treatment before continuing with exercise.
While gentle exercise can help promote healing, it is important to ensure that you do not make the injury worse so if you have pain, swelling, or stiffness related to your injury, your doctor may recommend that you wait for these to subside before recommencing exercise.
Once you have clearance from your doctor, you may need to ease back into regular exercise to accommodate your injury. Depending on what type of injury you have, and which part of your body is injured, this may mean you use lighter weights than usual, walk instead of running on the treadmill, exercise for shorter periods of time, or build more rest days into your exercise regime.
You may even wish to temporarily change the equipment you use. If you have a shoulder injury, for example, you could swap out your rowing machine for a treadmill. Or if you have an ankle or foot injury, perhaps an exercise bike would be a good alternative to your usual treadmill routine. Please contact your local BeFit Hire agent to discuss alternative equipment options if this applies to you.
As you continue your modified exercise programme, it is important to monitor your pain levels. While exercise following an injury may not be completely pain-free, exercise should not make your injury feel worse or trigger new areas of pain. Increase your levels of training gradually, so you can keep your pain at a manageable level. The pain should also decrease over time, as your injury heals. If your pain does not improve, or gets worse, it is time to head back to your doctor.
Rest is an important component in recovering from injury. Your body may need more rest than usual to help it recover and repair, and good quality sleep is also critical to this process. You may also find that a compression bandage, wrap, brace, or splint can help support your injured body part and protect it from further injury. While stretching should already be part of your regular exercise regime, introducing additional stretches while recovering from an injury can further support your recovery and help prevent aggravating the injured area.
If your injury was exercise-related, it is also worth reviewing any factors that may have contributed. Are you using the right equipment? Are you using it correctly? Does your technique require adjustment? Are your shoes providing an appropriate level of protection? Identifying the cause of the injury can help you avoid repeating the same mistake.
With a wide range of home fitness equipment available for hire including treadmills, manual and programmable cross-trainers, upright and recumbent exercise bikes, rowing machines. BeFit Hire can provide you with the right equipment to aid your recovery.
Please contact your local BeFit Hire agent today to discuss which pieces of equipment will best help you achieve your exercise goals.
With free delivery to most of metro Adelaide and Melbourne for most hire periods, we’re confident that once you try home fitness hire, you’ll be ready to ditch the gym membership for good!
Remember, you can rest easy knowing your BeFit agent has tested, cleaned, and disinfected your hire equipment prior to delivery. Contactless delivery is also available if you are involuntary or medically directed self-isolation.
Photos from Shutter Stock
