Fitness Level and Injuries – Lower Back

With a new year comes a new you! Many people are working towards their fitness goals at this point in the year, whether it be training for their first 5k or just trying to have a better feeling of self. Unfortunately this is not only when the mind can become a little weak but so can the body. One of the biggest concerns that people have is what can they do when a nagging injury is slowing down their training? How can I maintain what I have worked so hard to get when I have an injury? The following are ways you can maintain your gains while dealing with the injury.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I am going to have a series of blogs talking about fitness level and injuries. For this blog, I am really only going to focus on minor lower body injuries. If it is a serious injury or pain is not subsiding, seek medical attention from a professional. Remember that Athletico does offer a complimentary injury screening at any of our Athletico locations.

The first time a minor injury pops up during training can be a devastating feeling. You have made all of these gains and now something like patellar tendonitis or an ankle sprain is going to put a stop to your training right? Wrong! Aside from the upper body and core work you can do, there are ways for you to get your cardio in without injuring yourself further. Simple things such as swimming or even jogging in a pool can help maintain or even make gains in your cardiovascular health. If for some reason you don’t have access to a pool, toning down a workout can help as well. Biking and getting on an elliptical are other great ways to keep your heart rate up.

If you still want to work on strength exercises for your lower body, you will have to modify what you do. Instead of doing full squats, you can go down into the squat position until you feel a little uncomfortable. The same thing goes for lunges as well.

Injury prevention is just as important as injury treatment. Please make sure you have proper fitting clothes and shoes before you begin any workout. Make sure to stretch both before and after your workout. Also, if you do not know how to use a certain piece of equipment, ask. There is no need to put your body at risk over a piece of equipment.

There is no reason a small injury should derail your fitness goals. Finding alternative ways to exercise and maintain your fitness level is key to meeting your goals when an injury pops up.