How to recover after an injury in the gym?

Experiencing an injury during a workout can occur to anyone, regardless of their expertise and fitness level. Even simple things like walking can result in injury. 

Whether it’s a sharp pain or significant trauma to the bone, getting injured can throw you off your normal routine. You may also have to face the reality that you need time off from training. For some, that’s worse than the actual injury.

The injury may not even be your fault and could have resulted from damaged equipment or poor instructions from a personal trainer. If this is the case, you could be owed compensation from the other party responsible.

Regardless, it’s vital that you focus on your treatment and recovery so that your body has chance to heal. We’ve come up with our guide to recovering after an injury in the gym so that you can get back to training again in no time.

The RICE method

If you develop an injury during your workout, you should follow the RICE method to prevent the injury from worsening and improve your chances of recovery. The appropriate steps to follow include:

• Rest the injury
• Use ice to minimise swelling and inflammation
• Apply a compression bandage to reduce the swelling
• Elevate the injury if you’re able to

Taking anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen can also help with pain management and inflammation but this should be checked with your doctor first.

Get help from a qualified therapist

A hands-on physiotherapist can come up with a programme tailored specifically to you and your injury type. This will allow you to return to normal as quickly and as safely as possible. They’ll be able to assess when exercise is possible again so that the injury doesn’t reoccur.

Maintain a healthy diet

Whilst you should always be adhering to a healthy and balanced diet, this plays an important role in your recovery process. Eating well and keeping hydrated are key and play a significant part in the healing process.

To ensure your joints are strong once again, ensure you stay away from alcohol and fast food. Stick to whole, natural foods – particularly those high in protein and calcium.

Focus on improving your balance

This may not initially come to mind during the recovery process, but partaking in exercises to improve your balance is important. Doing so can enhance your posture and strengthen your core, which is necessary for exercising safely.

If you don’t have a strong core, you run the risk of injuring yourself further.