Dealing with a bodily injury is like being stuck between a rock and a hard place; you want to continue to stay in shape, yet the injury can prevent you from keeping up with your regular workout routine and other physical activities. Avid fitness enthusiasts usually feel the weight of not being able to engage in their favorite sports the most. But for most people, being out of shape negatively impacts their physical health and mental well-being. Continue reading to find out how to get in shape.
Depending on the type of injury you have, its severity, and what part of your body is hurt, it can be possible to stay active and fit. If you haven’t exercised for days, weeks, or even months, here are some ideas on staying fit after getting approval from your doctor.
Weight Lifting
If you have an upper-body injury, you can strengthen your lower body and vice versa through weight lifting; but if you have a bad back, weightlifting is something you should take a rest from till you fully recover. Weight lifting gives you both a cardiovascular workout and strengthens your body.
You must make sure that the weights aren’t too heavy, and you’re not moving at a fast pace. Ease into your routine, and don’t exert yourself. If you feel fatigued at any point, stop. People who avidly workout with weights would be more familiar with what to do, but if it’s your first time, don’t attempt to start with any heavyweights, even if you feel comfortable at the time. This will likely cause you problems without you noticing it. Start light, start slow, and there’s a good chance even if it’s your first time, it won’t be your last since the benefits of weight lifting is plenty.
One of the best and versatile pieces of equipment is adjustable dumbbells, which work perfectly for those beginning a weight lifting regime and allow you to vary your workout, instead of buying several sets of different weights. With gyms getting pretty expensive, investing in essential home gym equipment might be a much better option for you.
Exercise Machines
From stationary bikes and rowing machines to treadmills and elliptical trainers, the choices are broad and many when it comes to exercise machines. While you can get a machine for a full-body workout, this site shows that there’s an abundance of choices to pick from, so you can choose a machine most suitable for your injury. That way, you can work up a sweat without putting a toll on your body. For instance, an elliptical machine has low body impact, making it a preferred choice for those with knee, joint, or back pains. Other people might prefer to have a treadmill, especially those who are suffering from an upper-body injury. Others might prefer rowing machine, especially those with impaired vision. According to thehealthpot.com a study proved that it had a positive effect on their health without posing many risks. There are plenty of minimalist treadmills and other machines that are affordable and don’t take up too much room.
Resistance Bands
For the cheapest alternative to stay fit, everyone should invest in resistance bands. These bands come in different colors, each color having a different tension level. Besides being inexpensive, they have several other benefits, including increasing coordination, providing a variety of exercises for the upper and lower body, ease of use regardless of your fitness level, and more.
Through resistance bands, you can tweak your moves and change your position while using them. This means that you can use the band sideways, overhead, behind, or below. You should buy bands with at least 3 different tensions, light, medium, and heavy. Another good thing is that you have in your house something sturdy, like a door attachment, to wrap the band around; this gives you a variety of different ways and different body parts to exercise and strengthen.
Swimming
This low impact sport is fun and can help speed up the downtime of certain injuries. Since swimming does use all your body parts, you have to go about it slowly and carefully. For instance, you could make good use of a pull buoy if you’re not able to kick with your legs due to pain. Using a kickboard, on the other hand, is great for those who have limited upper-body mobility and can’t use their arms effectively. These are training aids that help you get into the water and have a cardiovascular workout without overexerting yourself while you’re recuperating.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that you need to adjust the pace and intensity of your workout. You need to adjust to meet your body’s needs at this particular time. An injury doesn’t mean you can’t work out at all, but it does mean you should ease into sports or exercise slowly with proper warm-ups and cooling down. In almost all cases, recovering patients are better off doing low impact exercises and sports. They’ll keep you in the best shape possible, help your recovery, and also keep you happy so that you can focus on recuperating.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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