Healthy Living

How To Support Your Body Through An Injury

A forced interruption from exercising owing to an injury is discouraging. You’ll be unable to participate in your favorite workouts for several days, weeks, or even months. Moreover, it may appear as though all of the hard-won progress is being thrown away.

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However, allowing yourself enough time to recover from any injury fully, whether through healthy nutrition, low-impact activities, or a planned rehabilitation plan, is usually the best option in the long run.

Here are five ways you can support your body and mental health after an injury.

Allow Recovery Time

Uninterrupted training can slow your progress in the gym. A well-rounded fitness plan includes recovery. Experts say downtime is equally vital as physical exercise. Whether it’s a strain or sprain, proper rehabilitation is critical.

Please take this time post-injury to allow your body the rest it needs and develop a more well-rounded exercise schedule to allow for intense workouts and adequate recovery times once you are on the road to recovery.

Diet

What directly impacts the gains you see when working and how well your body can recover from injury. While it might feel like you aren’t doing anything, giving your body the right foods it needs to support your immune system and allow your body to heal is a step in the right direction. The best foods for recovering from an injury include;

  • Protein – chicken, beans, pulses, tofu
  • Vitamin C – citrus fruits, kiwi, broccoli, peas, spinach, tomatoes
  • Omega – 3 – Fish or supplements
  • Zinc – meat, fish, shellfish, whole grains
  • Calcium – almonds, dairy, broccoli, okra
  • Fibre – fruit, broccoli, spinach

Support

Ask your doctor and therapists if it is applicable for support and be able to return safely to exercising without aggravating the injury. From using kt tape for calf pain to wearing shoulder supports, strapping and more. There are plenty of aids on the market to allow you to safely support your injury as you begin to get back to exercising regularly.

It goes without saying that your main focus during the recovery period should be rebuilding your strength and receiving the appropriate medical treatment. However, you can seek other forms of support during this time.

 For example, if your injury is the product of an automotive accident, you may be able to work with an injury lawyer, such as  Dennis Hernandez, so that you can receive monetary compensation. This is particularly important if you require lots of medical attention, such as hospital visits, x-rays, or medication, which can quickly get expensive and are not always covered by your current insurance policy. Furthemore, seeking compensation can help ease your stress at a time when maintaining a calm, positive mindset is instrumental to your health and emotional wellbeing, meaning it is a worthwhile pursuit in more ways than one. 

Sleep

Your body needs sleep, and good quality sleep can help your body recover and repair from injury. For many people, being inactive leads to poorer sleep quality, and if this is the case, you need to develop a good sleeping routine that allows you to get the rest you need for your body to help healing times. Aim for around 8 hours of good quality sleep per night, avoid anything too strenuous close to bedtime, limit screens, and make sure your bedroom is set up for the right temperature and lighting to support your sleep.

Mental Health

Exercise is a known mood booster, so it is only natural to expect this to dip when you aren’t working out. Remember, a focus on your mental health can support the healing time during recovery. Open up to people and let them know how you feel. Discuss with your doctor how you are feeling and what they can suggest getting through this period. 

It may be that you can partake in gentler exercises or support groups to support your physical and mental recovery from an injury. It can help make an action plan and give you something to focus on to help your recovery.

Karla Urwitz
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One thought on “How To Support Your Body Through An Injury

  1. Thank you for sharing! By the way, on the way to recovery, you can try swimming to stay fit. Water mildly supports your body, therefore, swimming is a low-impact activity that doesn’t stress your bones and joints.

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