The path to recovery after a serious accident can be a tough one. It may not just be a physical battle that people are fighting but a mental one too. Trying to find the motivation can be the first hurdle when trying to return to playing a sport you love or even doing some light exercise. 

Whatever the goal, it’s important to know some of the key elements that contribute to building a safe and achievable recovery routine, including eating the right recovery foods and not pushing yourself too hard.

Why Do People Have a Time Out from Training?

The reasons for people having to take time out and recover can be varied. Some may have been injured playing sports whereas some may have had an accident at work. In some cases, the cause of injury may be due to a more serious accident such as a road traffic collision or a fall. Injuries from these types of accident generally require more intensive rehabilitation and physiotherapy, and the road to recovery is much longer.   

For people recovering from light injuries, a well-planned recovery routine is crucial. One of the most common mistakes people make is trying to do too much too soon, which often leads to people giving up and never getting back to where they want to be. To help keep you motived and keep you on the right road to recovery, here are some tips to keep in mind. 

Always Warm Up and Cool Down 

Although this tip should be followed for all exercise, it’s especially important if you are recovering from an injury. Warming up properly for 10 minutes before and after a session will help to gently warm and cool your muscles to prevent further damage. The increase in blood flow will help with flexibility and will ultimately enable you to do more in your session, which will definitely help with motivation. 

Take Sensible Rest Days

If you’re recovering from an injury, then the best way to help your body to do that is to let it heal. Hitting the gym or doing your routine for 3 days straight will not help with an injury. In most cases, it is likely to make things worse. Every time you exercise, you are putting your body under strain so it’s important to listen to your body and accept when it’s time to rest. If you wake up feeling sore, then it’s probably best to do some light work, maybe even just some stretches for that day and get back to your routine the following day. 

Mix Up Your Routine

If you’re a footballer, try playing squash. If you lift weights, try going swimming. Adding variation to your routine will help you to work different sets of muscles and not put a strain on existing injuries. Doing swimming as a rehabilitation exercise is a great option if you’re looking for a low-impact activity that’s used by professional athletes to aid recovery. If you go straight back to doing the exercise that caused in the injury in the first place, you risk doing more damage and adding more time to your recovery.