You’ve picked up a slight injury that’s causing mild pain and discomfort. It’s annoying as you just started getting into fitness. You had a routine nailed down, and working out finally felt fun. So, this injury couldn’t have come at a worse time as you’re worried it’ll snap you out of your routine. The question is, should you push through and work out while injured?
Well, it depends!
When to work out while injured
Working out while injured is possible if your injury is one of two things:
- Not particularly inhibiting
- Confined to one area of your body
Some injuries – like muscle strains – will hurt, but they won’t stop you from walking around doing daily tasks. Likewise, if you injure your shoulder, it won’t stop you from doing a wide range of exercises.
In cases like this, it is okay to keep working out. Be mindful of your injury, and follow these steps:
Protect your injury
Find some way to protect your injury and prevent it from getting worse. A lot of the time, this is as simple as applying kinesiology tape to an injured area. Now, what does kinesiology tape do? Well, it protects injuries by improving the flow of white blood vessels around the body, helping it heal quicker. Tape can also stop you from over-extending the muscle and causing more damage. Other ways to protect your injuries include wearing casts on broken bones or wrapping them in a sports bandage.
Don’t use your injured area
Next, plan your workout around your injury. For instance, if your shoulder is injured, do lower-body exercises that don’t require using your arms. Or, go on the treadmill or a bike to do some cardio. You could even lie on a mat and do ab exercises. The same goes for other injuries; focus on exercises that don’t make you use the injured area. It prevents further damage while letting you stay fit!
When NOT to work out while injured
Don’t work out if your injury is super painful and inhibits your daily tasks. For example, if you’re in so much pain that you can’t do basic things, you shouldn’t exercises. Likewise, if your injury is on your lower body, you should rest instead of walking everywhere.
Put it this way, if you struggle to walk or do simple movements without your injury worsening, then rest is the best thing for you. It sucks, but you have to stay mentally positive until you recover. Think of this as a minor setback – but one you can bounce back from.
Recap: Should You Work Out While Injured?
You should work out while injured if your body allows it. Minor injuries confined to one area of the body can still mean you can exercise without putting the injury under more stress. When the injury is severe and very inhibitive, you need to rest to allow your body to recover.
