Let’s put it bluntly, injuries suck. They suck for a whole bunch of reasons. And while they’re not exactly desired by anyone, they’re particularly undesirable for fitness freaks. They cause massive disruptions to fitness regimes. Unfortunately, many make mistakes that simply make their injuries worse if they’re too eager to get back to exercise.

Exercise can help you regain your strength and hasten your recovery, but you need to go about it in the right way. Here are some essential tips!

Get help from professionals

While I appreciate that you’re taking the time to read this article, the fact is that there are experts out there who will be able to provide much more detailed assistance! An article on the Internet should never be used as a substitute for medical advice, so ensure that you speak to your doctor and keep them updated on what you’re doing. Getting the kind of personal trainer who has trained at the likes of Origym can be one of the best ways of helping you find your feet when it comes to recommended exercise. You may even find that working with a physiotherapist will help; this is something I did when I was recovering from SPD after my pregnancy. I was advised to do Pilates to help strengthen my pelvis again and get my flexibility back.

Take it slow

Do not rush into this. Yes, being forced to take things slowly when you know you have great general fitness is frustrating. But an injury really does set you back a few paces, and the best way to tackle this isn’t to push yourself to meet your previous achievements. This can simply lead to worsening the injury and putting yourself behind even further. Reduce your expectations. Don’t jump back into the saddle if you’re not ready. Again, it may be best to work with a professional. With an injury, you simply don’t have the strength and energy that you used to. It will come back, though.

Eat and sleep well

A housebound injured person often develops some bad eating habits. They start to pay less attention to their diet, and may even find themselves more inclined to eat unhealthy comfort foods. But that broken leg is no excuse to sit on the sofa and eat a pint of ice cream. Keep up a healthy diet; fats and proteins will help you with recovery. Getting enough sleep is also absolutely essential; if you feel that your injury is disrupting your sleep, then talk to your doctor about this. Sleep helps your body repair itself, so don’t assume you can go with less now that you’re not exercising as much!

Be honest

One of the most common mistakes that anyone makes when it comes to exercise – let alone the injured – is not being honest with themselves when they’ve pushed things too far. It’s especially important when you’re injured. If your body is telling you “no”, then pay attention to it. “No pain, no gain” is an overrated maxim – and you need to keep that fact in mind when you’re injured. Increased pain is more likely to signal an exacerbated injury than increasing muscle growth!

*Sp