This is a contributor’s blogpost …

 

Getting back into exercise after a long-term injury can be an incredibly daunting prospect. You’ll worry about injuring yourself all over again, being unable to do certain activities, and much more. However, even with these troubles, far too many people jump right into the process. Although it’s good to be eager to get back into shape, rushing things will make it a lot more difficult. With that in mind, here are six steps you should take to get back into exercise safely after an injury.

 

Ease Yourself In Slowly

 

Depending on the nature of your injury, you may not have been able to be very active for weeks or months in a row. This means your body probably won’t be in the same condition that it was before. For this reason, you must slow down and ease yourself in gently. Start with gentle forms of movement, increasing the intensity gradually, to avoid putting your body under too much strain.

 

Switch Up Your Routine

 

As you’re easing yourself in, you probably won’t be able to go back to the same exercise routine you followed before your injury. This offers the perfect opportunity for you to switch things up and try some new activities, like tennis and swimming. Cross-training is a great idea here, as it helps you to stay fit, but also avoids the same injuries again, allowing you to heal and regain strength.

 

Keep Up The Therapy

 

You may be starting to feel like your old self again, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore the professionals. If you have been having physiotherapy or performing certain rehab exercises since your injury, you need to keep these up until your doctor tells you otherwise. This sets you up for long term success, making it less likely that you’ll face the same injury again soon.

 

Listen To Your Body

 

Despite what many people believe, pain sometimes is just that. While a little discomfort is normal when you start to get back into exercise, you shouldn’t get to the point where you’re in agony when you move. If you start to feel this way, then stop exercising immediately and rest for a while. When you start again, be sure that you do so at a much lower intensity level.

 

Focus On Your Nutrition

 

Much like when exercising prior to your injury, nutrition plays a major role here. Without a healthy and balanced diet, you’ll find it much harder to recover and get back into shape, so be sure that you fill up on plenty of leafy vegetables and anti-inflammatory foods. You should also continue to drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated.

 

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

 

Healing isn’t always a linear process. In fact, more often than not, there are more than a few setbacks to face along the way. When this does happen, it’s important that you don’t beat yourself up. This will only cause frustration, which will ultimately derail your progress even more. Be kind and compassionate to yourself and understand that a great comeback takes time.

 

By staying persistent and following the advice above, you should be able to get back in shape in no time at all.