What to do if you get injured?
It’s fairly common when you’re exercising regularly to have a few aching muscles and maybe a couple of niggles. You can tailor your workouts accordingly until things have improved. But what should you do if you get injured and it’s impacting on your ability to function with “normal” daily movements?
Get treatment
Your number one priority is to get professional advice and help. Yes, it can be expensive, but this is your body, and you really need to look after it. If you leave an injury just to see “how I get on”, you could end up with long-lasting damage and also irritation and injury in other areas of the body due to muscle compensation. Popular choices of treatment include physiotherapy, osteopathy, and chiropractic. You can also try slightly more alternative treatments that can be exceptionally effective, such as acupuncture and floatation tanks for muscle relaxation. You should always try to go to someone or somewhere that has been recommended by someone you trust.
Nourish your body
What you eat when you are injured is incredibly important. Your body will be struggling more than usual, and healthy food will really help the healing process. Make sure you’re getting a good variety of the right vitamins and minerals. Turmeric is great for inflammation. Increased protein is helpful for rebuilding muscle tissues. If you’re having to take strong painkillers for a period of time, take some probiotics to help with stomach irritation and to help keep your digestion working at an optimum level. Staying hydrated is equally as important for healing. Drink lots of water to flush out any nasties that might be hanging around and to give your muscles the energy they need to heal.
Monitor your mental health
Being injured is incredibly frustrating. It can also be a very lonely time as you may have to forgo some of your usual activities and events. It’s important, therefore, to monitor your mental health and check in with yourself on how you’re feeling. Try to remain proactive by doing any rehab exercises you can, and by trying suitable alternative forms of exercise that you might not usually do. Keep in contact with friends, pick some good books and movies, and just be kind to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up mentally for your body not being able to do what you might want it to.
Get plenty of rest
Your body needs to heal. End of. And part of this whole process needs to include rest. Give yourself time between therapy treatments and rehabilitation sessions to recuperate. Let your body reap the rewards of the help you are offering it and allow it to respond effectively. Don’t push yourself too hard, but equally, as your injury starts to heal, let yourself enjoy some movement. There’s a balance that needs to be maintained between necessary rest and necessary rehab. The professional you are seeing for treatment should be able to help advise you on this. Don’t forget to get a good night’s sleep, you’re aiming for 8 hours if at all possible.
Written by Becky Barrett.
Becky Barrett is an international talent manager and personal fitness coach with over 15 years’ professional experience and a 1st class Honours degree in Business & Law.
Driven by her unique values of compassion and a holistic approach to talent management, Becky has devised an innovative solution to take on the fitness industry with a brand-new personal fitness concept that aims to inspire and boost ‘new normal’ approaches to exercise routines.
Features include: Health & Wellbeing, Natural Health, Arden University, The Telegraph, BBC, Time & Leisure, Bdaily News, The Stage.