Can You Still Workout While Nursing An Injury – My Tips & Suggestions

Hi loves! Today I’m excited to help you all workout while nursing an injury. This is actually very retable to me because at this moment I’m nursing a bicep strain. Luckily, I haven’t torn or pulled anything, but it’s still a very significant injury for me especially with all the weightlifting I do. I’ve been following these tips and suggestions and resting when needed to recover safely. But my entire programing has changed. So, what do you do when you have an injury but still want to get your exercise in? 

Before I begin though, I do want to say, if you are in pain or believe your hurt go see a doctor. I know my body and my dad was an athlete for many years and I can tell if I’m in doctor mode or just a couple weeks of recovery needed. So please, listen to your body and take the necessary precautions. With that said, nursing an injury and still being active is hard and requires a lot more thought and planning. Don’t just say “oh my bicep hurts, can’t work out for like 4-6 weeks” and throw yourself out of the hard work you’ve done. Follow these tips and suggestions and create a new workout plan for yourself.

My Tips & Suggestions

• Don’t self-diagnose yourself! See a doctor if you truly are hurting.
• Rest, rest, rest! Instead of working out 4 times a week, do 3.
• Eat a lot of protein!! Protein actually helps your muscle recover and help you not lose any muscle during the recovery process. Don’t go overboard but try to have a good amount of protein with every meal.
• Talk with your trainer (if you have one) and modify the workouts for that day.
• Try cardio if you pulled an upper body muscle. For example, I strained my bicep, so I do a lot of legs and added more running into my routine while I recover. If you pulled a hamstring, try doing weights for your upper body like bicep curls, push press, triceps dip, etc.
• Go LIGHTER in weights. For me any kind of lifting over my head causes a little pain in my bicep, but I can lift 10 lb. dumbbells over my head. Focus more on the technique of moves and lifting lighter is still a workout and you’ll still burn calories and tone your body.
• After your workout, make sure you shower first then ice or message the muscle to help along the recovery process.
• Don’t get FRUSTRATED!
• MOST IMPORTANTLY, STRETCH STRETCH AND ONE MORE TIME STRETCH! Stretching helps your muscles get prepared for your workout and it warms your body into the workout.

Nursing An Injury

It’s hard to work out while nursing an injury, but it can be done. Don’t stop working out because you’re injured, unless you completely have too. Work around it. Like I said, with my bicep strain, I haven’t been able to light anything over my head but I’ll work more on lower body and cardio. Lord, knows I need to work on cardio. Ha-ha! Sometimes, switching up your style of working out is all you need.

If you love running, but you pulled a hamstring or your knee is hurting, stop running and switch to more body weight or actual weight lifting. If you have a trainer or take a class, let your trainer or instructor know about your injury. Yesterday, I went in early to talk about other options instead of all the lifting over my head. They are there to HELP YOU! Go lighter usually I can lift 50 pounds overhead, but with the injury I was down to 20 pounds and it still burned a little. I focused completely on slow and controlled movements. 

Nursing an injury is tough, but with the right planning and effort, you’ll still be kicking butt in your workouts and being extremely safe while doing it. Now, go kill your workout!

XOXO 

Karen Giuliana