How to Stay Fit Through Injury: 5 Essential Strategies

Is an injury threatening to sideline your fitness endeavours?  I’m becoming an expert on the topic.  For the last four years, I’ve battled with reduced range in my right arm.  Today the max height I can raise my right arm is just below shoulder height.  A half salute.  A consult with an orthopedic surgeon is booked for June.  The current diagnosis is a case of calcification tendonitis that has been non-responsive to treatment.  Time will tell what this next intervention will bring, but in the meantime the show must go on.   If you are experiencing an injury that is making it hard for you to work out hang in there. With the right care plan it is possible to stay on track and emerge stronger than before.

Here are five things you can focus on while you are healing!

Maximize your Nutrition.  This is an area well within your control and plays a pivotal role in your recovery. Focus your energy on consuming nutrient-dense foods that support healing, such as lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats.  Salmon is my favorite healing food.  Consume 30-50 grams of protein per meal, without fail! You need it for muscle repair and growth. Urgently! 

Ensure you are well hydrated.  Hydration is crucial to muscle recovery as it helps transport nutrients to muscle cells, removes waste products, maintains optimal tissue function, and facilitates faster healing and regeneration.  Add electrolytes to your water to ensure you are getting essential minerals into your system such as magnesium and potassium which can aid healing.  

Food is medicine.  Make fueling your body with the nutrients it needs to repair and rebuild a top priority.  Warning: You may get discouraged and want to eat junk food for relief. Fight this urge, as it will make matters worse.

Accept the need to adapt workouts.  Motion is lotion.  Certain exercises will not be possible during your recovery. Don’t worry about it.  Focus all your energies on what you can do.  To stay motivated to train set a goal that is within your current capacity and work towards that, i.e., running a 5 km or deadlifting double your body weight, or holding a 5-minute plank or swimming a mile. Whatever inspires.    Embrace the change.  Listen to your body and prioritize movements that feel, and are safe.

Work with a coach to develop a tailored workout plan that emphasizes what you can do while healing.  Invest in a weekly PT session to keep you focused. Challenge yourself. What is the best possible shape you can achieve with this “limitation?”  

Prioritize Rest and Recovery. Injuries require adequate time to heal and healing takes energy. You may experience more fatigue.  Allow your body the time it needs to repair damaged tissues and regain strength. Cut back on things as needed and avoid overextending yourself. Slow and steady wins the race.

Stay Positive and Be Patient.  Easier said than done and takes practice and self-compassion. Dealing with an injury is mentally challenging, but a gratitude practice can make a world of difference.  Give thanks daily for what you do have and continue to focus on what you can control, such as your nutrition and rehabilitation efforts.  Trust that your body will heal in its own time. Be patient with yourself and celebrate victories along the way, such as making time for a massage or cooking a healthy meal.

Seek Support. Navigating an injury can feel isolating and if pain is an issue it can wear on you.  If you have a down day, don’t panic, it is part of the process and you’ll rise again.  Go for a walk to the beach or in the forest. If your mental health is impacted, talk with a therapist specializing in cognitive behavioural therapy, an approach that teaches us how to challenge those negative thought patterns that an injury can give rise to.

Pic: Alfie. 6 months. Diesel's newest addition to his family.

While an injury can disrupt your fitness routine, it doesn't have to derail you. If you focus on your nutrition, adapt your workouts, prioritize rest, embrace a positive mindset, and seek support when needed, I'll wager you can even improve your fitness while healing. Persevere my friend!

At Empower we help people grow stronger, no matter where they are starting from. It is our specialty.  Come talk to us and we’ll show you the way!

Wednesday WOD

 CFQF 24.2

Warm up 

3 rnds 

• Leg out rock, Os push up, Full body rock 

• DB front squat, front squat to shoulder press, Thruster 

• DB Single leg RDL R, Single leg RDL L, RDL 

Tech 

• Wall balls 

• Burpee box jump over 

Wod 

3 rnds 

• 50 wall balls 14/20# 

• 50 lateral Burpee box jump overs 20/24"

20 minute time cap 

Cool down