How to Stay Fit While Recovering From an Injury

You finally built a routine you love, and then you got hurt. A sprained ankle, a sore knee, a cranky shoulder or a tweaked back can make it feel like all your progress is slipping away. Stopping everything isn’t the answer, but neither is training through the injury and making it worse.

The good news is that you can usually keep a lot of your fitness while you heal. Here’s how to stay fit while recovering from an injury: the ground rules, workout ideas for each type of injury, and when to get help.

Ground Rules Before You Train Around an Injury

• Get the green light first: check with your physician or physical therapist before you start, and talk through the specific exercises you plan to do, not just the idea of exercising.
• Protect the injured area: the goal is to train the rest of your body, not to test the injury.
• Use pain as your guide: if an exercise increases pain during the session or the next day, swap it out.
• Keep rehab first: your rehab exercises are part of your training, not something extra to skip when you’re busy.

Not sure whether your pain is normal soreness or something more? Start with our guide to workout pain you should never ignore.

Ankle and Foot Injuries

Foot and ankle injuries often mean limiting weight on the injured leg, which rules out walking for exercise for a while. If your provider approves it and you can tolerate it, try non-weight-bearing cardio such as a rowing machine, a stationary bike or swimming, about three times a week.

A sample circuit while your foot or ankle heals:

• Chest press
• Lat pulldown
• Seated cable row
• Leg extension machine: if it doesn’t load the injured area
• Stability ball push-ups
• Bicycle crunches
• Overhead press

Leg and Knee Injuries

Almost every lower-body routine bends and straightens the knee, so building a new routine can be frustrating. You can still keep your upper body and core strong with your provider’s approval.

A sample circuit while your leg or knee heals:

• Pull-ups: or assisted pull-ups
• Chest press
• Lat pulldown
• Overhead press

Elbow and Shoulder Injuries

With an elbow or shoulder injury, your whole lower body is usually free to train. Walking, stair climbing and stationary cycling are good options for cardio.

A sample circuit while your elbow or shoulder heals:

• Stationary bike: moderate to hard effort
• Leg press
• Walking lunges: without weights in your hands if gripping hurts
• Back extensions

Lower Back Injuries

Lower back injuries can be tricky, because so many movements involve the trunk. Talk to your physical therapist about which options suit your injury, and only start once your provider has signed off.

A sample circuit while your back heals:

• Chest press: seated, with your back supported
• Lat pulldown
• Overhead press: seated, if it doesn’t bother your back
• Leg extension machine

How to Put the Circuit Together

1. Train 3 times a week: with at least one rest day between sessions.
2. Work in short blocks: 30 to 60 seconds per exercise, with about 15 seconds of rest between exercises.
3. Repeat the circuit: up to four rounds, as your body tolerates.
4. Warm up first: and do easy, non-weight-bearing cardio on your off days.

Once the injury settles, the next step is a planned return to your full routine or sport. Our guide to return to sport after injury walks through the phases.

When to Stop and Get Checked

• Pain is getting worse: instead of better over a week or two
• Swelling keeps coming back: after you exercise
• Numbness, tingling or weakness: in an arm or leg
• You can’t bear weight: or the joint gives way
• Night pain or fever: pain that wakes you up, or pain with fever or feeling unwell

Stay Fit and Heal the Right Way

The smartest way to train around an injury is with a plan built for your body. Our sports injury rehab in Fort Myers starts with The Gray Method™, one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy at our clinics in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Estero, and our coaches work alongside our Doctors of Physical Therapy when you’re ready to train again.

Start with our Fixing the Cause & Not Just the Symptoms Assessment, or Inquire About an Appointment →

Call our office at (239) 223-0484 to schedule your appointment.