Health & Wellbeing

Training and Working Out when Injured or Ill

RECOGNISING WHEN YOU’RE NOT 100%

Training when you’re not 100% can lead to you feeling worse, and for more gain in the long term it is best not to train.

When you’re in the zone it feel really difficult to miss a gym session for fear of losing momentum, but it is really important to listen to your body and give it a break in order to recover energy levels.

If you are fairly new to exercise, or you have recently changed your regular programme, it is normal to feel muscle soreness, particularly in the 24 - 72 hour window after training. This is known as Delayed Onset of Muscular Soreness (DOMS) and can leave your muscles feeling tender and sore to touch. This feeling is normal, and will only be bad after one or two workouts, but any pain that lasts for more than 3-4 days may be something more severe and maybe get checked out.

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HOW TO TRAIN WHEN YOU’RE INJURED OR ILL

If you’re injured or ill, we suggest you get clearance from a physiotherapist or doctor before commencing with training. Depending on the severity of the injury, it may be that your body needs a few days rest and recover, and particularly if your muscles are tight, there are a number of stretches you can do to help the healing process.

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HOW TO AVOID INJURY

The best way to avoid injury in training is by ensuring that your technique is spot on; regularly massaging your muscles on a foam roller; paying attention to your mobility stretches and making sure you don’t miss a warm up or cool down when training.

Many people make the mistake of compromising their technique in favour of training super hard and lifting as much as possible. This will lead to injury down the line, so warming up the muscles and focusing on mobility in your weaker areas will be key in injury prevention.

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HOW TO AVOID RUNNING YOURSELF DOWN

Sleep. An often overlooked aspect is sleeping, you really need to have at least 7 hours a night. Your body needs the right amount of time and space to recover, especially if you’re training hard and working too. Sleep is crucial to achieving your best results in any programme.

Hydration. Take on water regularly, especially if exercising. This should be imperative anyway, but even more so when putting your body under more stress than usual.

Good nutrition. Eating well and providing your body with the right nourishment will be key to keeping on form. Your shredding nutrition diet should include lots of vitamins and minerals to keep your body in good balance.

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For everything from joint supports to muscle relief, check out our Sports Injury Store

Advice provided by Louisa Thomas, Personal Trainer with DS Fitness Brighton

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Want to learn more? Visit our Health and Wellbeing category to help look after your body, mind and personal safety with our expert advice and guidance.