Why moving is essential when injured

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If you’ve ever suffered an acute injury or dealt with chronic pain then you’ve likely experienced frustration and uncertainty about how to help your recovery.

Whether the pain be a sudden onset or something that builds gradually over time the fears and concerns are the same. The pain might be limiting your workouts or running / cycling / swimming, but it could also be impacting your everyday life too. When getting up and out of a chair becomes painful then we know it can no longer be ignored.

The first step is to try and understand the cause of the pain and the aggravating factors, for example, a torn rotator cuff might be the cause of the pain with overhead movements (shoulder press / swimming) the aggravating factors. The next step would be to identify the rehab and treatment required to support the recovery process, this will very much be individual and be dependent on the severity and nature of the injury. If there is any doubt as to the cause or rehab required then I would certainly recommend seeing a health professional i.e. Physiotherapist.

What commonly happens during the steps above is we stop training / moving completely to avoid the pain, which is understandable as no one wants to be in constant pain. Unfortunately, though this sudden inactivity can lead to mental frustration and emotional sadness, which leaves us feeling demotivated to train.

So what’s the alternative?

Simply, it’s to keep moving as much as possible whilst avoiding aggravating injury. Yes your training will look somewhat different, but by continuing to exercise you will;

Promote the production of growth hormone, which in turn will help speed up the healing process.
Increase your heart rate and get your blood pumping, even at low intensities this will help reduce inflammation of the injured area.
Allow you to focus on other areas of weakness i.e. an injured lower limb might be the perfect time to build and develop upper body and/or core strength.
Elevate your mood and keep you feeling optimistic about the outcome of your injury.
See strength gains in the injured (non trained) limb due to the cross-education effect. This recently understood phenomenon is where the untrained limb still receives strength adaptations following training of the opposite uninjured limb… that’s right, train the left leg and the right leg gets stronger too! The strength gains are neurally driven so the work needs to be of a high intensity i.e. heavy with low reps and adequate rest.
Prevent the likelihood of picking up other injuries.

When the injury finally heals and the pain has disappeared you’ll find yourself still in good shape, your strength in the injured limb will not have diminished as much as you feared and your mood during this period won’t have dipped significantly.

So if you are injured or become injured, stay positive, keep moving and don’t forget that sleep and nutrition play a big part in helping the body’s natural healing process!

Head Coach

Mark Wilson ASCC

Knowledge Base

Check out our Knowledge Base articles for endurance athletes. Here we share insight and advice on a variety of topics related to strength, health, and nutrition.

Do you know the story of Milo of Croton?

The story goes that when Milo was a boy he gained immense strength by lifting a newborn calf and carrying it on his shoulders. The legend says that he returned the next day and carried out the same feat. Milo then continued to do this for 4 years, hoisting the calf on to his shoulders each day as it grew, until he was no longer lifting a calf, but a 4 year old bull!

If you’ve ever suffered an acute injury or dealt with chronic pain then you’ve likely experienced frustration and uncertainty about how to help your recovery.

So what’s the alternative?

Head Coach

Mark Wilson ASCC

Knowledge Base

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