How To Jumpstart Fitness While Recovering From An Accident

 

Accidents happen all the time, and sometimes you don’t know if it’s going to happen to you next. No matter how you prepare for such an eventuality, if an accident happens to you, the best thing you could do is adequately prepare for the situation. When you’ve become injured in an accident, it’s normal to be frustrated as treatment can take a huge chunk of time that can be used elsewhere.

 

This is why sometimes people who miss work or school due to accidents tend to either be depressed or be motivated to overexert just to “heal.” This can pose significant threats to the overall treatment of any patient, and if you’re looking to jumpstart fitness while recovering from an accident, it’s important to understand that healing is not a quick process.

Given the nature of accidents, treatments won’t always be the easiest things to get acquainted with. This is especially true if you have to rest in bed for a considerable amount of time. However, just because you need a lot of rest to recuperate doesn’t mean you’ve become totally weak. You might be get back to your strong, healthy self –  it just might require the right kind of patience, effort, and guidance for you to be fit again.

 

Getting Enough Work

 

It’s a common misconception among fitness enthusiasts that doing more is always good. It makes sense at first glance, especially when you slowly take into account that the more volume or the more repetitions you do for a particular exercise, the more stress you’ll put in muscle groups and the more they will be pushed to “improve.” This, in theory, allows people to better develop their bodies. While this works from time to time, the misconception arrives when people think “more” is always the best way to do things “faster.” This can become very dangerous and risky in the long run, as overexertion leaves the body vulnerable to injuries. For someone who’s just recovered from an accident, it’s important to know when enough is enough in terms of fitness.

 

  • In fact, data from 2008 that was collected by Kansas State University states that there have been 3.3 million visits to the emergency room due to overexertion leading to unintentional injuries. According to this data, this makes overexertion the third top cause of these injuries in the United States.
  • Should you start with a routine you like, remember to condition your body to slowly release more effort as you go along. Going big isn’t always a good option, especially if you’re still recovering from an accident. Should you find yourself in a position to start doing things such as stretching, lifting weights,, or other forms of exercises, then try to make sure you aren’t exerting too much stress on your body. Start with lighter loads and lighter repetitions with a minute or a half a minute’s worth of rest in between. These may seem as though they take too much time, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. You might end up spending more time recovering from a follow-up injury than had you just taken a short break every now and then.

 

Resting For Wellness

 

When you have just recovered from an injury, the common advice is for you to get a lot of rest. This doesn’t mean that you should sleep all the time, however. When you decide to get your fit self back on track, resting means getting enough breaks in between your workouts so as to not hurt your muscles too much. However, this is the other half of “getting enough,” wherein you should get enough rest aside from getting enough of your routine.

 

  • Remember to get enough rest. If the kind of fitness routine you chose exerts stress on particular muscle groups, remember to spend a day or two allowing those muscle groups to rest so growth could kick in. When you exert force on certain muscles during exercise, the kind of stress these muscles get can jumpstart their growth. However, the growth only actually happens when the muscles are allowed to “reconstruct” and improve during rest.
  • This may need confirmation with your physician, especially when your condition is taken into account, but putting ice or heat on your injuries immediately after your workout can help. Professional athletes use cooling methods to prevent soreness in the muscles after intense workout sessions. Icing is also a recommended method to reduce pain and swelling after injury. However, if your injury is more than just one to two days old, perhaps heat may be of assistance.

 

Medical Advice Comes First

 

When it comes to doing anything with your body after an accident, it’s important to always get the approval of your physician or physical therapist first. Although it might seem like a hassle, the advice of a medical professional is essential to make sure the fitness journey you are undertaking is something sustainable in the long term. These include anything ranging from the diet you chose, to the routines you plan on doing.

 

  • Remember, when it comes to fitness, these are things you will do for a while. Going on a diet or short-term routine can help your body recover, although pushing for something you can sustain and progress with is something that can make you be more active for a longer period of time.
  • This means the routine you should do must be something you can start with safely and with the least risk to injury. You may ask that the routine your physician or physical therapist will agree upon could be something you can continually develop. You may even ask for recommendations as to the kind of “next level” exercises or diet you should include, as well as when do they think it’s appropriate to take it to that degree.

 

Conclusion

 

If there’s anything the tips on how to jumpstart fitness while recovering from an accident can share, it’s that it takes a lot of time and effort to be successful in regaining your physique. After all, treating from an injury requires the body to have a lot of rest, which can impact just how muscles function, and can affect your overall health. However, just because you need to get rest and slowly rehabilitate doesn’t mean it’s too late to start being fit again. With the appropriate routine and the right kind of guidance with a physician or a physical therapist, you may actually be able to get that body you desire. If you’re looking to understand other aspects of this topic, such as its legal implications, you may click here.

 

 

 

Vicki Haskett

 

Vicki is a law writing enthusiast who’s had over 25 years of experience in her field. She enjoys sharing her experiences with those who want to learn more about the legal world. In her spare time she spends quality time with her family and friends.