Recovering from an injury can be frustrating as well as painful. Taking time to build your strength back up doesn’t mean you have to be sidelined – there are plenty of ways to keep fit and stay active whilst recovering. To help you remain on the path to recovery, here are various ways to stay in shape depending on your injury.
Leg and Knee Injuries
Leg and knee injuries are among the most discouraging pains for athletes and fitness lovers. Most endurance exercises involve extension and use of the knee joint. With this in mind, we understand that having to develop a whole new fitness regime can become frustrating, but there are still many other low-impact options to build your fitness and your leg- and knee-strength back up:
- One-legged cycling
- Kayaking
- Hand-cycling
- Swimming
- Water-running
Arm and Shoulder Injuries
Upper-body injuries allow for a lot more continuation of traditional exercises, such as cardio and strength-conditioning of the lower body. To help maintain strength, power, and fitness levels, the routine of circuit training is a great way to ensure that your unaffected joints and muscles are remaining active.
Completing daily light stretching-exercises on your affected joints and muscles will help to slowly build your strength back up. It is important not to overdo this and to not push yourself too far. It’s also essential that if you’re attempting any exercise that will use affected muscles, you always have support for your joints.
Exercises such as walking, cycling, light jogging, and stair-climbing will help to keep your fitness levels up.
Ankle and Foot Injuries
Similarly to leg and knee injuries, pain in the ankle or foot can be restricting when it comes to exercise routines. However, there are still ways to keep fit:
- Rowing machine
- Stationary bike
- Swimming
- Water-running
- Upper-body exercises
It’s not all about focusing on your physical fitness, either. It’s important to also focus on nutrition and to ensure that you have a balanced diet to support all of your hard work.
Take Your Time
As the saying goes: “Slow and steady wins the race.” It is crucial that you do not overexert yourself when recovering from an injury. Take good care of your muscles and joints to reduce any long-term problems. If you’re in need of further assistance in supporting your injuries while you build your strength back up, don’t hesitate to contact us on Facebook or email us on info@benecaredirect.com.