18 Dec How To Return To Your Workout Routine Safely
Unfortunately, no matter how safe we all are, injuries can happen. If you’re an athlete or someone who works out regularly, the likelihood of suffering an injury becomes even more significant. Should this happen to you, it’s essential to take the proper steps to ensure you return to your workout routine safely. Here at New York Sports Medicine Institute, our team will help with just that. Dr. Roth, our sports medicine expert, will diagnose your injury and determine the necessary steps needed to make a safe return to action.
Common Activity-Based Injuries
The first part of this process is understanding the common injuries that can affect you while physically active. Knowing the common injuries can help potential patients craft the necessary strategies to prevent them from taking place. The most common injuries that fall into this category include the following:
- Pulled or strained muscles.
- Ligamentous issues.
- Back, neck, and shoulder problems.
- Tendonitis.
- Overuse injuries.
- Tendon ruptures.
Preventing These Injuries
Patients who are diligent regarding preventing injuries from occurring limit the likelihood of needing to go through an extended recovery process. Taking care of your body is the best way to ensure you can continue your workout routine normally. There are a variety of prevention methods that are perfect for those who are typically active. These methods can include some of the following:
- Remain hydrated before, during, and after physical activities.
- Always take time to warm up before your practice or workout.
- Consider performing daily stretches.
- Listen to your body. If you begin to feel pain, rest.
- When increasing the intensity of your workouts, do so in a gradual manner.
- Participate in cross-training, so you never overwork one part of your body.
Treatment For Your Return
When you become injured while being active, you must never return to physical activity without consulting with a medical professional. Here at New York Sports Medicine Institute, we are well versed in sports medicine and will help patients understand their recovery timeline while also offering treatment. Dr. Roth or Dr. Delaney will perform a full assessment of your injury to determine what needs to be done to make a full recovery, which is the first step in making your return. Examples of the treatment options that will be utilized depending on the type and severity of injury include:
- Immobilization through bracing or casting.
- Surgical procedures to reconstruct the damaged part of the body.
- Implementing a period of rest to allow the body to heal.
- Physical therapy to restore strength and functionality.
Mental Preparations
Once the treatment process has run its course, the next step will be to prepare yourself for returning to your workout routine mentally. It’s easy to want to start right back where you left off before you suffered the injury. However, taking time off to heal will affect your body, will be immensely helpful. Mentally preparing yourself can involve other aspects, including some of the below:
- Trusting that the treatment process implemented by our team has prepared you for physical activity.
- Going over what caused the initial injury to help prevent it from happening again.
- Coming up with realistic, attainable goals to get you back in the swing of things.
- Reminding yourself it will take time to reach your previous levels of fitness.
Additional Return Tips
Although many athletes count down the seconds to when they can return to being active after an injury, it’s common to be a bit apprehensive as well. After missing so much time away from your routine, missing more due to an incorrect return process can prolong your healing. To prevent this, Our team would like to provide some additional tips for making your return:
- Start at around 50% of your regular physical capacity.
- Cross-train to strengthen your entire body faster.
- Listen extra closely to your body. The second you experience pain, end your workout for the day.
Schedule An Appointment
When you become injured while working out, don’t go through the recovery process alone. Here at New York Sports Medicine Institute, we’ll help you fully recover and get back into your workout routine. To schedule your first appointment with Dr. Roth or Dr. Delaney, contact us today.