How To Work Out While Injured

Health is a lifetime pursuit that demands consistency and punishes any and all excuses. Unfortunately we live in a world that does not allow for us to be in complete control. So sometimes life happens and we end up sick, hurt, or injured. This is where the excuses typically come and then the wheels fall off and all of your motivation to make health a priority quick fades away.

So how do you stay consistent and not let the wheels fall off every time life happens?

First off you better have your WHY in place. (for more on that: https://www.caseyandnat.com/casey/2019/4/8/uncover-your-why-to-transform-your-life ) That why is what will ensure that you slam the door on the excuses that will try and derail you. With that in place, it is about focusing on the things that you can control. Nothing you do will change the fact that you are sick or hurt. But you can take steps to heal faster and recover completely. You can train your mind even if you are completely bed ridden. Even the most serious injuries can be trained through.

5 years ago I shattered my foot and ankle. It required a major surgery and I was non weight bearing for almost 4 months. As a professional athlete this was mentally devastating and nearly cost me my career. I had a choice, I could either do nothing and wait to heal which I’m sure most never would’ve questioned or I could control what I could and continue pushing towards being the best that I could be. I chose to continue moving forward.

Here is what I did:

I started with my nutrition. I knew that what I eat and drink is responsible for 80 percent of how I look, feel, and perform. So I made sure that all of the energy I’d have normally put into hours and hours of training was redirected into eating perfectly and researching supplements that would assist through each stage of my recovery. I also took advantage of not having my days packed full of work and training and listened to my body and got as much rest as possible. I did workout all the way through my recovery. My first workout was 5 days post surgery and continued to be a priority through the process. A lot of you may be asking how can you workout when you can’t even walk? Creativity. Drive. Determination.

My ability to workout throughout the process was due to my creativity which was fueled by my drive and determination. This allowed me to make continuous progress and the crazy thing is that I was able to make huge progress in weak areas that I’d have never focused on if it wasn’t for the injury. It started slow. Really slow. My first workout post surgery was 3 rounds of 10 Knee push ups and 20 Crunches. I kept moving forward from there. Lot’s of pilates work on a reformer, then continuing to push what I was capable of, to where I could do just about everything on one leg. Kettlebell swings, rowing, burpees, etc. This work allowed me to keep my injured leg strong so once I was weight bearing I was already several steps ahead.

What I want you to understand is that YOU CAN. You can make your health a priority no matter what injury you are dealing with. The reasons that stop most people are not reasons. They are excuses. You can always move forward in some fashion. Your health is all you have. Without it all of the other things disappear. You may not be able to control everything but you can always control how you react to what is thrown at you. It may take eating a whole lot of humble pie, I mean I was a professional athlete doing push ups on my knees, but accepting that was a lot better that accepting defeat.

Here are 10 guidelines to follow when working through injuries:

Keep your ego in check
Listen to your body
Train smart (Don’t use a pull up bar you have to jump to if your foot is broken)
Only work in pain free Range of motion
If you are unsure check with a professional
Keep your training varied to avoid overuse injuries
Recovery is your 1 one goal, Rehab is number 2, making new gains is number 3
If something hurts stop
If you have stitches or are in a cast you can’t take off, avoid getting sweaty.
Maximize your recovery

How To Work Out While Injured