Exercising After An Injury

When your muscles and joints are strained and feel sore due to an injury, the thought of exercising could feel like a poor idea. Although a full and strenuous workout could potentially worsen your condition, moderate exercise could be just what you need to begin the healing process. We are often provided with the notion that we should “take it easy” when we are dealing with an injury, but this might not always be what’s best for your recovery. After spending a week or two on the couch, your muscles stiffen, scar tissue grows, and moving becomes more difficult. Completing your everyday tasks now feel harder and more demanding to complete than they did before. The truth is that exercise may actually help ease aches and pains while also reducing the length of your recovery.

Exercise Helps:

• Improve Circulation
• Prevent a Re-Injury
• Keep Your Muscles and Joints Limber and Flexible
• Reduce Inflammation
• Decrease Scar Tissue Formation
• Strengthen the Muscles That Support Your Joints
• Improve Range of Motion
• Enhance Balance

Exercise after an injury generally involves gently working the injured area or keeping other areas of your body mobile and flexible if it’s too soon to exercise a sore muscle or joint. For example if you hurt your ankle, focus on upper body exercises for a couple of days. Once your chiropractor approves, try adding walking, strengthening, or low-impact aerobic exercises to your workout regimen. If back pain is the problem, exercises that don’t apply any stress to your back or abdominal muscles can help your muscles and joints stay loose. Swimming, walking or riding a stationary bike are great exercises that can elevate your heart rate, improve blood flow, and increase mobility and range of motion.

Always check in with your chiropractor before you begin exercising after an injury. He or she can advise you when it’s safe to start working out again and recommend specific exercises. Our Duluth Chiropractor Dr. Torgimson has over 30 years of experience treating injury related conditions. If you feel like you have an injury, and could benefit from chiropractic care, we may be able to help. You can contact Associated Chiropractic Physicians at (218) 728-3686, we look forward to helping you!

Featured Image: “Woman Stretching Before Workout” by Andrea Piacquadio