How to bypass injuries during military training

Accidents and injuries are a part of life. But what happens to your training when you injure yourself? Having a backup workout plan that gets you around an injury can be both a workout saver and a sanity saver.

Regardless of the injury, be sure to have it checked out by a medical provider before continuing with any training. Even just asking a physiotherapist to let you continue can save you time on the bench later.

The key to injury training is always to listen to your body and not turn aches and pains into long term problems. If it hurts to run, stop running. If it hurts to walk, don’t run. If it hurts to stand or do nothing, it’s definitely time to see a professional to help you recover.

Do you have any of these common injuries? Here are some ideas for recovery and training plans.

Extremity injuries

Isolated extremity injuries to an arm or leg are among the easiest to work around. If you have an arm injury, for example, you can continue to work the other arm or focus on the legs and core. Leg injury? The same basic idea applies.

In case of an injury to the arm, consider changing the cardio. You can still ride a bike, run, or walk although you generally prefer exercises like swimming, rowing, or elliptical machines that use the arms. Any upper body day can be adjusted to focus on the opposite side, trunk, or opposing muscle groups to avoid further damage to the injured area.

The machines are practical, because they are specially designed to insulate the joints. Bicep curls, tricep extensions, leg extensions, and leg curls are basic isolation exercises that can help you work around certain upper and lower body pains.

If you suffer from a running injury, non-impact cardio will allow you to work your heart and lungs without impact pain. The same goes for lifting and Swedish gymnastics. Dividing your upper body into a push-and-pull routine can allow you to continue exercises that don’t disturb a specific muscle group or joint.

Heart injuries

The trunk of the body includes the spine and the neck and everything that connects to it. If you have an upper or lower back injury, a strained muscle in the front, or bruised or broken bones, your ability to move, walk, or even breathe can be severely compromised.

In this situation, you need professional assistance which will include a variety of tests, physical therapy, and recovery time. And rather than finding other physical training exercises, now is the time to focus on recovery.

This means eating well, but not too much, as your daily calorie expenditure will be drastically reduced if you don’t exercise or move around as you normally do. Many people forget about this important factor and gain weight during their recovery, which only makes it harder to recover.

In addition to a healthy diet, recovery also involves rest, good sleep and hydration. Take this recovery time seriously and use it to build your nutritional planning. You can simply form good habits to help you rebuild and regain your athletic performance once you train again.

Depending on the physiotherapist’s advice and the severity of the injury, you may be able to continue to use isolation machines that work the extremities like the arms and legs, as many of these machines can completely disengage the activity. main.

Head injuries

Whether it’s a concussion, dental surgery, or a broken nose, the severity of the injury determines how you should proceed. The typical advice is to rest and avoid anything that requires stress or increases pressure like resistance training.

Light cardio (walking) may be on the table if there are minimal symptoms and no bleeding, but your doctor or physical therapist should give you the go ahead before pushing yourself through hard workouts. Bending over can be uncomfortable and not good for recovery, so anything more advanced than walking should be cleared by your doctor or therapist.

Mobility and flexibility

One of the most important parts of recovery is making sure that you can maintain the flexibility and mobility of your muscles and joints respectively. Staying flexible can not only help you recover, but also prevent further injury as you recover from what is keeping you from moving now.

Always remember that pain is an indicator that something is wrong. Go around that pain instead of going through it. There is a difference between pain and injury, but if you don’t listen to your body at the first sign of pain and address what makes you uncomfortable, your body will eventually yell at you and you. will force it to take longer to heal anything. turned into an injury.

In the meantime, keep moving and always practice what doesn’t hurt you.

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and Fitness Author Certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness e-book store if you are looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to [email protected]

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