If you have been working out quite happily, then you will know how daunting it can be to feel that sharp pain or an audible crack. In your gut, you know that you have hurt yourself, and you may not know how long it is going to be before you can recover. At the end of the day, getting hurt does suck, as it can throw off your entire routine. If you want to do something about this so you can help yourself to get back in the gym faster, then this is the guide for you.
Mark Your Calendar
The amount of time it will take you to return to the gym will ultimately depend on the injury you have. That being said, it’s more than possible for you to count on a basic formula so you can find out how long your recovery is going to take. If you want to get your cardio up again, then you can expect a challenge that equivalates to the amount of time you were out with your injury. If you are out of action for two weeks, then you can usually expect to be back at your peak performance at the end of the month. If you have a major setback that could include surgery or even a broken bone, then this can put you out for longer, and it may take you much longer to return to form as well. At the end of the day, you need to start out small, and you also need to make much more manageable increases over time. This will help you to avoid putting too much strain on your body in the long run. If you haven’t been able to walk for quite some time, you will need to build up your strength again because if you don’t, you may find that you experience even more injuries and downtime. If you do a workout and find that you don’t have any soreness, you can increase the intensity of your workout for the next session. If your chest isn’t too sore bench pressing, add 10lbs to your next workout. It’s important that you feel some degree of accomplishment for every victory that you have. You also need to be patient as it will take time for you to get back to your peak level.
Skip out on Your Runs
If at one point you could crush your cardio or long run, then don’t worry too much. You should not expect your body to return to the same level you had right away. As the days go by, you will lose muscle, and you will also lose endurance too. This is especially the case if you happen to be out for more than two weeks. At this point, you may find that your aerobic capacity is way lower. When you get on the running trail, you can ease into your workouts much more. It’s always a good idea for you to start out way lighter than what you would expect, as this will reduce the chances of you re-injuring yourself overall. Interval cycles of active rest should help you to regain the endurance you need very quickly. If you were used to running for an hour, you should try to make sure that you run for half an hour or switch things up. Run and then alternate to fitness walking. Fitness walking is a brisk walk where you intentionally swing your muscles so that you get more contractions going. You will be working your aerobic system more, but you will be able to stop yourself from injuring yourself in the future.
Lighten the Load
Weight training is hard to return to if you have had an injury. You should not be rushing yourself to return to the gym before you get the green light. It’s vital that you try and get cleared by your doctor or your physician. You need to do this before you lift bigger weights so that you do not run the risk of setting yourself back. So how light do you go? Basically, you need to go lighter than you’d think. While the type of weightlifting equipment you use will have a huge influence on how much you can lift, you have to take into account the injury that you are doing your best to recover from. Your nervous system will have lost a lot of the adaptations that you will have created when you first began strength training. You need to try and make sure that you relearn them before you go ahead and return to the routine that you have. If you don’t, then you may find that you end up struggling overall and that you also find it difficult to dive back into working out.
Keep the Intensity Dialled Down
Even though you may want to rush back and do your favourite CrossFit workout, you have to make sure that you put on the brakes and that you hold off for now. You may be tempted to push beyond your limits, but this is a bad idea to say the least. It’s recommended that you stay away from any cross-fit classes until you have had some time to really build up some progress. Ideally, you need to be closer to regaining your strength before you go ahead and get to a point where you aren’t too far off being able to lift according to your earlier endurance levels. If you want to help yourself, then you need to try and practice the workout that you are going to be asked to do when you attend a class so that you can do your own preparation. This will give you a good idea of what you are able to handle. This will also give you the chance to assess your own tolerance level, and it will also help you to increase the volume of your workout accordingly. Once you do set foot in your class, you then need to try and see if you are able to adapt your exercises so that you can stop yourself from injuring yourself even more. If you can, take supplements to refuel your recovery. You can find out more information about the things that you can take to help your workout by clicking the link.
Focus on What you Can Do
Often, it’s very easy to focus on the negatives of being injured. You may think that you can’t do anything, and this can get you down, to say the least. If you have a shoulder injury, then you need to try and concentrate on your lower body exercises if possible, as this will not require you to use your shoulders in the gym. It may be that you need to use resistance bands as well, as this could make it very easy for you to get the workout you need without putting too much pressure on yourself. You also need to try and make sure that you go the extra mile when it comes to warming up and cooling down too. If you can do this, then you will be able to reduce the chances of you injuring yourself in the future, so make sure that you keep that in mind if you want to push your workout.
If you are having a hard time working out, then remember that you can hire a personal trainer if you want. They can work with you to ensure that you get the best result out of your workout.
