Have you ever had such a foot injury that has left you unable to go about your daily routine? You’re unable to move, walk, run or basically do anything with your feet? And most importantly you can’t visit the gym!
You just lay in your bed, watching TV, doing nothing while your body begins to suffer from all the inactivity. Soon you start seeing signs of your body losing its shape and your fitness going down the drain, all those long hours at the gym doing those intense workouts simply going to waste.
Therefore it is no surprise that once you are able to get back on your feet you’ll think of heading to the gym. Unfortunately for you, you can’t do this. You need give your injured foot a lot of rest and heading to the gym and exerting yourself can cause severe consequences.
So, how does one get back to being fit after foot injury? Let’s find out!
The Do’s and Don'ts of going back to fitness
If you wish for a successful return to fitness then you must allow the soft tissues to adjust to all the new changes. Running causes the joints, muscles, tendons and the ligaments to go through a lot of stress. If you have just recovered from an injury you can’t apply stress on your leg and feet since this could cause some severe damage to the bones and tissues.
When you have provided your body with the right amount of time it requires to recover you’ll start seeing signs that your body is ready to take on the stress level, but before that indulging in all the previous intense exercises that you used to do is a big ‘No!’
After your injury, you must be grateful for every mile that you are able to cover. Don’t be impatient and start running the same number of miles as you used to. The last thing you want to do is re-injure yourself.
Start off slowly and then you can then gradually increase the amount of time that you are running or using your feet in some other form of exercise. However do make sure to rest in between as well. You need to take breaks and rest your body. Take things slowly and tackle tasks one day at a time. Just set yourself some weekly goals to keep you motivated.
Usually when people suffer from foot injury they are required to go for physical therapy and rehab exercises. If you also go for these exercises then make sure that you don’t lax. You need to take every sort of precautionary measure in order to prevent any further injuries from taking place and allowing your foot to heal.
Never compare your current progress to your previous results before you got injured. This will only make you feel frustrated and you won’t be able to concentrate on your recovery phase.
You will find running and working out a bit of a hassle when you come back to the gym after a foot injury. Keep in mind that your muscle memory will allow you to return back to your previous level of fitness, you just need to give it time. You shouldn’t expect to do everything you used to do at the gym on the very first day you return.
One thing that you really need to take care of is that if you notice any pain or any discomfort then you need to slow yourself down. Consult your doctor if you think you’re ready to hit the gym again. As mentioned numerous times here, be patient with the recovery process and don’t overdo it. You will go back to being fit soon enough.
