Exercise can be incredibly exhilarating – until you get hurt at the gym. Experiencing a workout-related injury is disheartening and painful, so it’s important to know how to mitigate further harm after an incident occurs. To ensure that your recovery from any physical damage goes smoothly, here are three essential steps for anyone who has sustained an injury while working out.
Stop Exercising
If you have an injury, the most crucial step is to cease all physical activity immediately. Continuing to push through pain may make your injury worse and lead to long-term damage; thus, it’s important that you suspend any exercise which induce discomfort or hurt. Allow yourself ample rest for the injured area in order to reduce inflammation and promote healing – if necessary, you can use a brace or bandage as support until the issue starts resolving itself.
Seek Medical Help
The second step is to seek medical help. While minor injuries like strains or sprains can often be treated at home with rest, ice, compression, and elevation (known as the RICE method), more serious sports injuries need to be addressed by a specialist or else they can become worse. If you’re experiencing significant pain, swelling, or difficulty moving the injured area, it’s important to see a doctor or physical therapist for an evaluation. They can help diagnose the injury and provide guidance on the best course of treatment, which may include physical therapy, medication, or even surgery.
Take Time to Recover
Now for the most crucial step – time to heal. Depending on how serious your injury is, this process could take some days or weeks; whatever it takes, give yourself that much needed rest and relaxation period. Make sure you modify (or even stop) your exercise plan so that there’s no additional strain put upon the injured area and follow any instruction from a medical professional closely as they will provide exercises or stretches tailored to aid in quick recovery.
An injury at the gym can be a major blow to progress, but by immediately halting exercise and getting proper medical attention, you will set yourself up for a speedy recovery. Sports-related injuries must always be treated with care; if you are feeling substantial pain or discomfort it is best to err on the side of caution and seek professional help. With some patience and dedication to your rehab program, you’ll soon get back in shape and reclaim your active lifestyle!
Check out this article on why you should maintain proper form when swimming!
