Once you have found the sport that motivates you to exercise and you are seeing results in the form of weight loss, improved fitness, and improved mental health, you will most likely want to keep going. Often, a sports injury can be just the thing to de-rail you from your healthy routine and from making any further progress. This can be disheartening, but there are ways to deal with a sports injury that might help get you back in the saddle much sooner.
Prevention Is Better Than the Cure
First, it is better to understand how to prevent any injuries from occurring in the first place. You can do this by creating a fitness plan that incorporates a warm-up and cool-down in each session and includes cardiovascular exercise, strength training and flexibility. Additionally, make sure you understand how to perform each exercise with the correct form and to focus on getting the technique perfect before you speed up your reps. Finally, do not exercise when you are in pain and stop when you’re exhausted because this is when most injuries will occur.
Remember RICE
RICE is an acronym for rest, ice, compression, elevation and helps to remind you of the necessary steps to take in the event of an acute soft tissue injury from occurring. The first step, ‘rest’, indicates that you should stop physical activity immediately and for up to 48 hours after, ice should then be applied to reduce swelling. Then you can compress the area using a medical bandage, which should be snug, but not too tight, before elevating the injured part of the body above the heart to reduce, pain, throbbing and swelling.
Supplements for Sports Injuries
To heal your body much faster, there are a range of supplements that you could be taking, along with a healthy diet. Firstly, include protein rich foods in your diet to help repair your damaged tissue, such as meat, fish and dairy and reduce inflammation by eating a range of citrus fruits and dark leafy greens that are rich in vitamin C. Take an Omega-3 supplement to help speed up recovery and try CBD from a company like Herbal Health CBD to manage pain.
Regaining Strength
Ensure that before you jump straight back into your usual sport schedule, you regain back the strength that might have deteriorated during your long period of rest. Work on your normal walking pattern at home so that there is a balance between weight transfer from your right side to the left, focusing on your feet, all the way up to your hip. If this pattern is still imbalanced, then work on progressing to a normal walking style by trying some resistance training using a resistance band or rope, which will help to rebuild strength on the injured body part before returning to sport.
Nobody wants to suffer from a sports injury since it can set you back weeks or even months in terms of progress; however, in the event of becoming injured, following these steps and listening to your body will allow you to recover faster and get you back to your sport schedule in no time.