Should You Exercise While Injured?

In nearly ten years of practicing physical therapy, one of the most common questions I am asked is, “How can I exercise while recovering from…(insert injury here)?” Or, just as common, “Ever since my surgery I’ve been so bummed since I can’t work out.”

The good news? I’m here to tell you that just because you are rehabbing one area of your body doesn’t mean you can’t stay strong or get even stronger everywhere else. If you had knee surgery, guess what? Your arms, back, and core are all perfectly healthy and able to undergo strength training. Pulled a muscle in your rotator cuff? You still have the ability to walk, or run in many cases, and a modified exercise routine is still fully accessible to you. Of course, you want to give your body the proper rest it needs to recover immediately post-op or when an injury is more acute, but typically after the first 1-2 weeks, go for it!

In fact, research shows that it is actually beneficial to perform moderate exercise when recovering from an injury! Exercise means increased circulation and blood flow throughout your body, which brings healthy nutrients into the healing tissue. Exercise also increases endorphins and dopamine which helps keep you motivated and fight off stress, anxiety and depression. Also, the more you are able to maintain your strength, cardiovascular health, and overall fitness while recovering from an injury, the less overall muscle atrophy you’ll experience and the quicker you will be able to return to activity down the road.

Here are a few examples of ways you can exercise while recovering from an injury in a specific region of your body. Most of these require minimal equipment!

**As a general rule, avoid anything that causes pain both during and after the activity.

**Always consult with your healthcare provider prior to beginning a post-injury exercise program.

Knee/Ankle/Foot:

General: Avoid exercises involving weight bearing on the affected side until cleared by your healthcare provider.

o   Supine Core: dead bugs, bicycles, scissor kicks, get creative!

o   Strengthening while lying down: Straight leg raises, leg lifts in sidelying, clamshells, prone hip extension

o   Standing: Stand on the NON-INJURED side while holding onto a countertop, balance on one leg and perform heel raises, three-way kicks (front, side, back)

o   Arms/Shoulders: Anything sitting or lying on your back should be fair game! Try to even out pushing and pulling exercises as much as possible.

o   Cardio: A recumbent bike is minimal weight bearing so a good option if you have access to one! Swimming as well if you have access to a pool.

Shoulder/Elbow/Wrist/Hand

General: Avoid exercises involving the affected area including holding weight, overhead reaching/lifting or planking/push-ups until cleared by your health care provider.

o   Standing Legs: Bodyweight squats, heel raises, single leg balance, monster walks, sliders, lunges

o   Supine Core: Bridges, dead bugs, scissor kicks

o   Sidelying Hip (Avoid if you have pain lying on injured side): Clamshells, hip abduction

o   Cardio: Walking, elliptical (no arms), running when comfortable

I’ll be rolling out demos of the exercises listed through my Instagram account, so stay tuned and check out @upwardptseattle or email me at anna@upwardptseattle.com for more tips to help you stay healthy and active!