Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to live a healthy life. It’s been proven to be more effective than medicine for many of the diseases that affect the most people in America.
Unfortunately, a lot of people are afraid to exercise because they’ve been hurt before and are afraid they can’t exercise without getting hurt. At Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, we see lots of people that return to exercise after injury.
We understand the fear that you can’t exercise without getting hurt. Our team knows this is a normal response to injury. We also know how to help you overcome it.
If you want to start back into an exercise routine after injury, you need to have a systematic way of doing it. Here are 2 secrets to exercising without getting hurt.
Gradual Progression
Gradually progressing your exercise program is one of the main secrets to exercising without getting hurt. Below is an example of a return to run progression we use after knee surgery:
| Level | Workout Description | Total Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.1 miles walk + 0.1 miles jog (Repeat 10 times) | 2 miles |
| 2 | Alternate 0.1 miles walk + 0.2 miles jog | 2 miles |
| 3 | Alternate 0.1 miles walk + 0.3 miles jog | 2 miles |
| 4 | Alternate 0.1 miles walk + 0.4 miles jog | 2 miles |
| 5 | Jog 2 full miles | 2 miles |
| 6 | Increase workout to 2.5 miles | 2.5 miles |
| 7 | Increase workout to 3 miles | 3 miles |
| 8 | Alternate between running and jogging every 0.25 miles | Varies |
In this progression, your total running distance is increased gradually, starting with short intervals of running, progressing to continuous running. This allows you to do 2 things:
- Overcome fear by gradually exposing yourself to the exercise program and building your confidence
- Build your body’s ability to handle the exercise program by allowing it time to adapt. Gradually applying increasing load, with a recovery day or 2 between exercise allows your muscles, bones, and joints to adapt to the new stimulus and get stronger
The chart above is specific to running, but the same principles can be applied to strength training, exercise classes, and almost any exercise type. You can apply the same concepts can be applied to exercise classes. Instead of starting off with a 1 hour exercise class, take breaks during the class and gradually reduce the number of breaks you take over time.
Prioritize Exercise Technique
When starting an exercise program, it’s important to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly. This is especially important with strength exercises. Starting with light weight and a controlled environment helps you be able to focus on technique. Injuries are more likely to happen:
- When performing exercises when fatigued or at high reps like in an exercise class
- When starting with a load that is too heavy
The rating of perceived exertion chart below can be used to help you plan your loads for strength exercises
When starting back to strength exercise, it can be a good idea to stay in 5-6 rating and use higher reps, in the 8-12 range. This allows the load to stay light so you can focus on technique. It also allows you to build confidence.
You can gradually increase the intensity of your strength training and decrease the reps over several weeks. Remember, a gradual progression is key.
If you’ve tried these secrets and you’re still afraid you might get hurt, we can help you!
At Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, our physical therapists are experts at helping people exercise without getting hurt and will develop a plan to help you too!
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here to request and appointment.
A member of our team will schedule you an appointment with one of our expert physical therapists.
What happens if you don’t have a plan to exercise without getting hurt?
- You get out of shape and are more likely to get other diseases
- You can’t keep up with your friends on walks because you get tired easily
- You get injured easily because you don’t have enough strength to play sports
But WITH a plan for to exercise without getting hurt you can live the life you want again.
The tips above are a great way to get started. But if you want an expert to listen to your unique problems and guide you to success, a Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine physical therapist will create a plan specifically for you.
You’ll feel confident that you have the knowledge and ability to exercise without getting hurt and do all the things you want.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here to schedule your appointment and start your path to healing.
Working to keep you living your best life,
The Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Team
