Setbacks and injuries of varying degrees are inevitable from time to time through
out life but if we are doing the right kind of strength training the injuries are often
less severe, less frequent and when they do arise we can generally still train around
them.

Active recovery is just as essential to the healing process as things like Advil, ice,
heat and compression, and rest. It’s also crucial in alleviating the mental strain that
comes with physical injuries and setbacks. By continuing to train and adjusting your
goals during injuries, you’ll be able to maintain a positive outlook and get back on
track with your fitness with new physical strength and greater mental resilience.

Throughout my career as a personal trainer I have worked with many clients who
were just coming off of a physical therapy program, a weekend injury or a physical
ailment of some sort. Of course, there are varying degrees of injuries. It might be a
torn ACL while skiing, a pulled back while gardening or a shoulder impingement
from the golf course. Yes, these types of injuries do set the client back BUT there is
still a way to train and stay on track during the healing and recovery period.

Recently my 66-year-old client Alex needed hip surgery. His surgery was scheduled
two months out and he was in pain, but instead of giving up his workouts entirely
until after his recovery, here’s what we did during the weeks leading up to surgery:

– We avoided many lower body exercises in those two months

– We focused on his upper body and core

– We set new goals that wouldn’t exacerbate the injury but would allow Alex to
build strength and confidence, and reduce his recovery time post-surgery

Alex went from dumbbell bench pressing 35lbs in each hand (with full range of
motion and great form I might add), to pressing 45lbs in each hand for four sets of
12 reps. The intensity also increased with a few different core movements we had
been working on such as the pallof press, a rotational movement and a plank
variation. His pulling strength for his upper back improved with the new focus on
upper body with exercises like the chest supported row, single arm row and
suspension band row.

After his surgery, the physical therapist working with Alex was very impressed with
his recovery time. He was walking around shortly after and we resumed training
the following week, still focusing on upper body until he was finished with his post
surgical physical therapy.

Another client of mine, Regina, had shoulder and low back pain after a long weekend
of helping a friend move, playing golf, and getting little sleep. Instead of cancelling
our training session the following Tuesday, we adjusted the workout.

– We started with a series of thoracic spine mobility exercises to try to regain
range of motion in her shoulder

– We worked on hip mobility to shift tension away from the back and regain
confidence in her movement abilities.

– During our upper and lower strength segment, I substituted the original
workout for shoulder and low back friendly exercises.
We were able to get a great workout in, focus on some areas that may have needed
attention, and speed up the healing process so that she could continue to enjoy
activities she loves outside of the gym.

Both Alex and Regina could have easily waved off training for the times they didn’t
feel optimal, since they both had legitimate excuses to cancel. But instead of giving
up on exercise altogether OR pushing past physical warning signs in a reckless way,
they were able to adjust their workouts to keep building fitness while expediting the
recovery process.

It can be easy to throw in the towel all together when injuries and setbacks occur. A
stiff ankle might lead to a sedentary week, which then might spiral into poor food
choices, and before you know it you’ve gone a month without movement and feel
worse than when you started.

If a shoulder is bothering you, go for a walk and focus on lower body for strength. If
your low back is jacked up, focus on upper body strength and take the time to
hydrate or work on nutrition. Whatever you do, don’t let all the wheels fall off. You
will be back to your full capacity before you know it. If we stay focused on the
things we CAN control and view injuries as a time to improve in other areas, then we
will come out of the injury both mentally and physically stronger.