​Why Exercise Is A No-Brainer (Even If You’re Injured)

We know that it’s good to move our bodies on a daily basis. But when we get injured, it’s a good excuse to chuck in the towel for a few weeks– right?
Wrong! Exercise or at least some type of movement is an important part of your recovery process. Although it might not be good to go for a run 2 hours after you break your ankle (ouch!), you do want to incorporate movement as your body heals.
Let’s look at why exercise is so beneficial, and how to include it safely.

What are some of the general benefits of exercise?
So first up – why do we want to exercise on a regular basis? I’m glad you asked! There are so many benefits to exercise for your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Some of them include:

• Reduced risk of chronic diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers
• Stronger bones, joints and muscles
• Lower blood pressure
• Better weight management
• Lowered risk of depression and anxiety
• Better mood
• Increased energy levels (even if you have a condition that causes chronic fatigue)
• Boost your libido
• Improved brain function and memory
• Better quality sleep

So it’s easy to see why we’re told to move on a regular basis. But what if you’re injured or experiencing pain?

Exercise, injury and pain
The old-school approach to pain was all about rest and inactivity. But now we know that movement done correctly is one of the best things you can do for pain.
When it comes to pain and injury, research has shown that exercise can:

• Raise pain tolerance and decrease pain perception (thanks endorphins!)
• Relieve pain and improve quality of life for those who experience chronic pain
• Help with chronic lower back pain, fibromyalgia and chronic shoulder issues

There are a few different reasons for these benefits. Exercise boosts blood flow throughout the body, which can carry vital healing nutrients and oxygen to damaged areas. It floods your body with feel-good endorphins and stimulates happy brain chemicals.
But there are also the indirect benefits. For example, exercise improves sleep, which is when your body does its best healing. If you’re not sleeping well, it will take you longer to heal. But if you use exercise to improve your sleep, it can boost your recovery.

How to exercise safely after an injury
Convinced that you need to move that body? Let’s go about this with safety in mind. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Start slow. After an injury, there are a lot of complex processes going on. So the last thing your body needs is for you to try and run a marathon while it’s still healing! Begin with gentle movements, and work your way up over a period of weeks until you’re back to your pre-injury levels.
Use your non-painful joints. If you have an injured upper body, use your lower body for exercising. If you’ve got an injured lower body, do some upper body exercises. Endorphins don’t stay in the one place – they are systemic. So if you’re moving non-sore parts, the endorphins will make their way around your body to the sore parts to help relieve the pain.
Get a proper rehab program prescribed. This might not be necessary if you’ve only rolled your ankle or stubbed your toe. But if you have had a significant injury or are in significant pain, it’s best to get help. As a myotherapist, I can prescribe rehab exercises that build your body’s strength back up, and adapt exercises that might be causing pain. Your exercises will change throughout our treatment plan - we start from light, easy exercises while the pain or injury is acute, and work up to more challenging exercises to rebuild strength when your body is ready for it.
 
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