You went to this “hardcore fitness class” and after 30 burpees your (insert body part here) hurts A LOT.
If you have read my last blog post, you know that after a few days, if the pain doesn’t go away, there is definitely something wrong.
After a short visit to the Doc, there is no doubt…you are properly injured, and the doc says that sentence you do not want to hear: “Do not exercise for (insert number here) weeks”.
And just like that, all your efforts to stay in shape, gone. It is so sad I feel like a slice of chocolate cake, don’t you?
BUT, at The Ripple Club we always see the bright side and that’s because we have a solution for you! Put down this slice of cake and read this article to understand how you can be exercising after an injury. No doubt you will recover faster and stronger than ever!
What usually happens when you get injured is what I call a vicious circle.
As you are not moving much:
Your moral is low>>> You are putting on weight >>> Your muscle mass melts like snow in the sun >>> You are over compensating with other “healthy” parts of your body which start to get sore / hurt.
But not all is lost, all vicious circles can be broken with a bit of willpower 🙂
So what to do?
- Keep yourself busy
It is not because you broke/injured your wrist that you shouldn’t enjoy a day out or even a spa treatment! You sprained / broke your ankle and it makes it really hard to walk? Invite friends over to your house for a board game night or something fun! Most of the people just stay at home and watch TV when they get injured, that sounds fun for a few hours but you will get bored and / or depressed super quickly. Try to keep your social schedule busy during the next few weeks it will definitely make you feel better and it will go faster!
2. You think you can’t do it – Most of the time, you CAN!
Your busy schedule makes getting injured feel like the end of the world! Think again, with a few adaptations, you can actually do most of your daily routine with an injury, you just have to take your time and be careful. You need to travel? Also can lah! You will be surprised how kind and helpful (some) people are, and you can even get special treatment at the airport! If you are not travelling to trek Everest or a rock climbing event with a broken toe, then I bet you can do it. You will not be as fast / efficient as usual but with a bit of patience everything will be fine!
3. Be conscious of how you move
When injured we tend to be really mindful / over protective of our injured parts, while forgetting about the functioning ones. Try to keep a certain balance to avoid over compensating on your healthy parts.
You know that feeling when you just went for chiropractor session and he/she tells you you are not walking properly? You look at yourself for hours trying to correct that afterwards but you forget about it a week later! It is crucial to check our form/posture while injured to avoid having to deal with more injuries down the road. That’s the moment of this post where you should take a second and assess your position J. All good now? Let’s get to number four!
4. Be mindful of what you eat
As you are not exercising as much, you shouldn’t be eating as much as usual right?
I like to tell my clients that their body is like a car. Do you need a full tank to go to the supermarket down the road? No? Well it is the same with your body. You are burning a lot less calories a day and these extra calories you just ate will most likely turn into fat…I know, it’s not pretty!
Most of us when injured keep eating the same portions. To avoid putting on weight you should adapt your diet and be mindful of what, when and why you eat.
3 big tips to follow:
Keep it healthy: You want to eat good wholesome nutritious foods to help your body to recover faster.
Keep a scheduled eating pattern: If you are on MC (medical leave) for a few days, it doesn’t mean you should eat whenever – try to keep a “regular” schedule with set meal times to avoid munching all day!
Recognize hunger VS envy / greediness: Are you really hungry or are you just satisfying an urge for chocolate cake? (recurrent theme here!) When you think of reaching for snacks or unhealthy foods always ask yourself: Would I want to eat if the only thing available to eat was (insert your least favorite food)?
It doesn’t mean you can’t have a treat once in a while, just acknowledge the fact that this is a treat and limit them while you are not able to exercise.
5. Keep moving!
Yes but the Doctor said..? Call him back and ask him what you are able to do in term of exercise. Most of the time, (except if both legs are broken kind of injury) you can still do something, even partially. Perhaps it is just a short walk in a park? Or some arms exercises? That’s already better than nothing! THE best thing to do to recover faster, and I cannot stress this enough, is to get in THE POOL (if your injury permits it!).
Funny enough, The Ripple Club uses the wonders of water to keep you injury free and help you recover faster!
Why water?
- Water creates more resistance which makes aquatic fitness a super efficient workout, burning off maximum calories so you don’t have to worry about weight gain!
- Water buoyancy allows you to train and create muscle mass without putting extra stress on the bones and joints.
- Let’s admit it, being in the water feels amazing! No better way to pack up your schedule, meet some lovely people and get the positive hormones flowing, the endorphins, kicking in at the end of the session leaving you strong, injury-free, rejuvenated and in a wonderful mood!
If you are currently injured or recovering after an injury / surgery, be PATIENT, your body will take time to heal properly and if you follow our 5 tips, you should get better in NO time!
Alicia xx