Injury Prevention & Recovery In Fitness

Injuries happen. It doesn’t matter whether you are a seasoned athlete or just starting a solid fitness or yoga routine, you could get yourself injured. How does it happen? Some of the most common causes are pushing yourself too hard, ignoring some warning signs such as unnatural discomfort or pain, or rushing through some steps. 

Whatever the reason, when you are injured, you need to focus on your recovery. This can be frustrating because it feels like you have to stop everything and wait for your body to get better. 

So, here’s a little breakdown of what to do to prevent injuries as much as possible, and what to do when they still happen (because we are all humans and we can still do something stupid that will get us hurt).  

Some Prevention Tips To Start

What’s the best way to deal with injuries? Not getting them in the first place! Admittedly, this is easier said than done, but it doesn’t mean that it is entirely impossible. 

Did you know that most common injuries are fully preventable with a smarter approach to training? Think about sprains, overuse issues, or even strains. You need to start with the basics, namely warming up properly, using the correct form, and not pushing through pain. 

But if you are hypermobile, you could find yourself more at risk of injuries. This means that you want to include workouts in your routine that help you focus on control and strength, so that you can use your hyperflexibility as part of your fitness or sports routine without leading to injuries. You also want to consider protecting your joints, as they are more prone to damage than those of other people. 

Recovering The Right Way

If you get injured, you want to make recovery your priority. 

What does recovery mean? To put it clearly, recovery means giving your body the time to heal. So you shouldn’t be thinking about rushing back into training or pushing through the pain. This will make your injury worse. 

Medical attention does make a big difference. So, if something doesn’t feel right, you want to make sure you see a doctor to assess your injury. The start of your recovery journey begins with seeing a doctor and understanding exactly what has happened. 

Then you can focus on taking time off from the gym and fueling your body. Nutrition matters when you are injured because your body will use protein as part of the repair process. So, while you may not need to have the same calorie intake as when you are training, you should still consume plenty of protein. 

Movement Helps Healing

Once the initial rest phase is behind you and once it is safe to do so, you can start moving again. This doesn’t mean matching your pre-injury training, but it’s all about increasing blood flow to the injured area. This delivers more oxygen and nutrients, which helps healing. 

Small and controlled, low-impact movements will help the rehab process. Everybody reacts differently to pain. So, if despite it being safe, things feel too painful to move, or you are afraid of lingering pain after small and simple recovery movements, you can look for ways to reduce pain levels, such as CBD gummies. These make gentle motions more manageable, and they will be more effective long term than painkillers. 

Ideally, you don’t want to get injured, but if you do, make sure to give your body the best shot at recovery it can possibly have!