6 Tips for Easing Into Your Fitness Routine Post-Injury

Have you recently recovered from an injury and now wish to start working out to get your body back to 100%?

A woman spraying a cooling spray on a person's foot.

Fully recovering from an injury and getting back to your old fitness routine is absolutely possible, but you should be cautious with how you go about it. The last thing you want is to re-injure yourself because you went too hard, too fast. This is the reason we wrote this article - we will give you 6 tips that will help you ease back into your workout routine after an injury.

From learning how to structure your new routine to which low-impact exercise machines are the best to start out with post-injury, by the end, you should know how to minimise the chance of injury while getting your body back to top shape. So let’s start with a word of caution.   

  1. Consult Your Doctor

Step one is to go see a doctor if you haven’t done so already. While it’s somewhat expected that everyone would go to a doctor after an injury, and it may seem like there is no reason to stress this, in reality, a lot of us don’t go to a medical professional if the injury is not ‘too bad’. That’s why we need to stress - go to a doctor to get the right diagnosis and a recovery plan.

Treatments and the recovery process are unique to each injury, to each individual, and even based on the primary workout type/sport of choice; for example, a powerlifter and a cyclist likely wouldn’t get the same treatment even if they had the same shoulder injury. Plus, if you don’t go to a doctor, you may not learn that a 'minor’ injury was caused by more serious underlying factors, which could easily lead to more severe injuries in the future.   

  1. Ease Back Into It: Take Twice as Long for Rehab as You Did for Recovery

Once you’ve seen a doctor, taken the time to treat the injury and recover from it, and you can finally get back to working out, don’t rush things. While you were injured, the injured area and other parts of your body lost strength and flexibility, so you shouldn’t get back to the same routine you had pre-injury.

On top of that, you will (consciously or subconsciously) adjust your movements if an area of your body is painful or weaker than you are used to, which can lead to further injuries. Let’s say you hurt your left elbow and it took three weeks to recover. As soon as you are back in the gym, you start doing bench presses with your standard weight.

Because your left arm is weaker, your right arm will naturally take on more of the load, which could easily lead to a new injury, but now it is in your right arm. Thus, one of the most important injury-prevention tips is to ease back into your routine. As a rule of thumb, you should give about twice as much time for rehab as it took you to recover from the injury itself.

  1. Include Flexibility and Dynamic Stretching Training

A man stretching at a gym to minimise the chance of injury.

Incorporating flexibility and dynamic stretching exercises into your fitness routine is crucial after an injury. Dynamic stretching involves moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both. This will help you improve your range of motion and reduce stiffness. Dynamic stretching prepares your muscles and joints for the workout ahead, reducing the risk of re-injury. 

So, start each session with a proper warm-up that includes dynamic stretches such as leg swings, arm circles, or lunges with a twist, while paying special attention to the areas of the body that were injured. For instance, if you've had a knee injury, ensure you’re stretching and strengthening the surrounding muscles like the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.

This will increase blood flow to the muscles and enhance flexibility. Additionally, include static stretching post-workout to help maintain and improve your flexibility over time. Hold each stretch for at least 20-30 seconds to allow the muscles to relax and lengthen. Consistent flexibility training will help restore normal movement patterns and support your overall recovery.

  1. Focus on Low-Impact Workouts

When returning to exercise post-injury, one thing you should consider is low-impact workouts and using low-impact exercise machines. These exercises and machines are designed to minimise the stress a workout puts on your joints and injured areas while still providing a solid cardio workout and building strength.

For instance, you can consider using one of the many types of exercise bikes if you are recovering from a knee injury and want to strengthen those muscles but don’t want to put too much pressure on the injured area. Other activities, like swimming or using an elliptical machine, are excellent choices in many cases. 

Swimming, in particular, provides a full-body workout with minimal impact on the joints. Water’s buoyancy supports your body weight, reducing the strain on injured areas and allowing you to move with greater ease. If swimming is not for you, there are also low-impact exercise machines that provide a full-body workout - rowing is one example.

There are many benefits to using a rowing machine, from improving your conditioning to building strength in your entire body - rowing is not just an arm workout - to improving muscle and joint mobility, all the while minimising the impact on your injured joints. Even something as simple as walking is a great, low-impact option.

If you’ve had a more severe injury that has kept you out of commission for a longer period of time, start with shorter, slower walks and gradually increase your pace and distance as your strength and confidence grow. Yoga and pilates are also beneficial as they emphasise controlled movements, balance, and flexibility, all of which aid in recovery and help prevent future injuries.

In short, making low-impact workouts and using low-impact exercise machines the basis of your routine is a good solution until you know that you are 100%.

  1. Partially Shift the Focus to Stabiliser Muscles 

Similarly to changing up your routine to primarily low-impact workouts after an injury, it's also very beneficial to focus not just on the major muscle groups but on the stabiliser muscles. Stabiliser muscles support the joints and help maintain proper alignment and posture during movement. Strengthening these muscles can prevent compensatory injuries while improving overall stability and balance.

Incorporate exercises that target the core, hips, and shoulders, which are key stabilising regions. Planks, bridges, and single-leg exercises are effective for building core strength and stability. For shoulder stability, consider incorporating exercises like shoulder presses with light weights, resistance band work, and exercises on an unstable surface like a stability ball.

By strengthening your stabilising muscles, your body will become more balanced and resilient, reducing the likelihood of re-injury and new injuries in general. Plus, having strong stabilising muscles will improve your overall performance in your primary fitness activities, so there are benefits to working on them even unrelated to injuries. 

  1. Don’t Fight Through the Pain

A woman taking a break in a gym, having a drink.

Finally, one of the most important tips for easing back into your fitness routine post-injury is to listen to your body and not fight through the pain. Pain is your body's way of signalling that something is wrong, and while your natural inclination may be to push through, ignoring pain can lead to further injury or setbacks in your recovery.

If you experience pain during an exercise, stop immediately and reassess. However, it’s crucial to differentiate between discomfort, which is a normal part of rebuilding strength, and pain, which indicates potential harm. Adjust the exercise, reduce the intensity, or switch to a different activity that doesn’t cause pain.

And don’t avoid communicating with your doctor or physical therapist about any pain you experience. They can provide guidance on whether it’s a normal part of the healing process or a sign that you need to modify your approach. Patience is key in recovery, and pushing through pain will only prolong your healing time and make it harder to return to your fitness routine safely.

The Equipment You Need for Post-Injury Home Workout

In case you want to start your rehabilitation process by working out at home, you can get what you need at Flex Equipment. We have many types of low-impact exercise machines, from exercise bikes to rowers to elliptical machines. You will also find mobility and warmup equipment and all types of weights and bars.

Plus, we offer specific recovery gear like vibration machines, heat therapy, and ice compression gear. Whatever it is you need, you can place your order online and we will ship the equipment to your address. You can also visit one of our stores in Brisbane, Canning Vale, Osborne Park, or Wangara to make your purchase in person. 

And if you have questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to help you out however we can.