Training with an Injury: How to Keep Moving Without Compromising Recovery
Injuries are an inevitable part of life, especially for those of us who push our physical limits in the gym. While it's tempting to rest entirely when we're hurt, immobilization often leads to muscle atrophy, loss of strength, and slower recovery. The good news is, training with an injury doesn’t have to mean halting your progress. With the right approach, you can maintain your fitness and even improve certain areas while giving your body the chance to heal.
Drawing from years of experience in performance training, rehabilitation, and my background in Osteopathy and Physiotherapy, I’ve worked with countless clients facing injuries. The key is to train smart, not hard. Here’s how you can keep making gains without compromising your recovery.
1. Understand Your Injury and Its Limitations
First and foremost, it’s essential to understand the specifics of your injury. Whether it’s a muscle strain, ligament tear, or joint issue, the injury will dictate what you can and can’t do in your training. Consulting a healthcare professional—like an Osteopath, Physiotherapist, or Strength Coach—will provide you with the best course of action.
A proper assessment can highlight which movements should be avoided and which exercises can actually aid in the recovery process. For example, if you’ve injured your shoulder, it doesn’t mean you can’t train legs or core. It’s all about working around the injury rather than through it.
2. Modify, Don’t Stop
Many people make the mistake of avoiding the gym altogether after an injury, which can slow recovery and reduce fitness levels. Instead, modify your exercises to accommodate your injury. For example, with a lower-body injury, consider:
Upper-body focus: Continue strengthening your upper body with machines or exercises that don’t put stress on the injured area.
Add in mobility and specific muscle activation sequences: When you're training with an injury, mobility and muscle activation exercises play a crucial role in maintaining joint health, improving movement quality, and aiding in recovery. These exercises help increase blood flow, restore range of motion, and prime your muscles for more effective workouts.
Single-limb training: If you’ve hurt one limb, training the opposite side can still yield benefits through a phenomenon known as cross-education. Your nervous system adapts by maintaining strength in the injured side.
Modify your technique: Lighten the weight and ensure your technique is the number one priority in your training.
In my My Training Space app, users can easily swap exercises to work around injuries while still following a well-rounded program. This flexibility allows you to adapt your training without giving up on progress. We also provide thorough exercise demonstrations so you can master your technique.
3. EmphasiSe Mobility and Flexibility
When injured, there’s often an imbalance between strength and flexibility in surrounding muscles. Mobility work becomes even more crucial, helping prevent stiffness and secondary injuries. Gentle, controlled movements that avoid pain can maintain joint health and prevent scar tissue buildup.
Incorporate exercises like:
Foam rolling: Great for promoting blood flow and reducing tightness.
Dynamic stretching: Keep the surrounding muscles active and flexible without overstressing the injury.
Office mobility routines** (like those in My Training Space): These are perfect for maintaining functional movement while recovering from an injury.
4. Focus on What You Can Do
Shifting your mindset from “what you can’t do” to “what you can do” is critical for staying motivated during recovery. Injuries are an opportunity to improve other areas of your body that may have been neglected. For example:
Core strength: Often overlooked in general training programs, but vital for overall performance.
Unilateral training: Working one side of the body can still stimulate your nervous system to maintain strength on the injured side.
Conditioning: If your injury permits, you can still work on conditioning with low-impact machines like the rower or stationary bike.
5. Listen to Your Body
While training through an injury, it’s essential to remain mindful of pain signals. If something hurts, it’s a clear sign that your body is not ready for that movement. Modify or remove any exercise that causes discomfort. On the other hand, some soreness during mobility work or light exercise is normal and can even be part of the healing process.
The My Training Space app allows users to log workouts and track progress, making it easier to monitor how your body reacts to different movements over time. This is especially important during injury recovery, as small, gradual improvements often signal progress even when major gains aren’t possible.
6. Implement Proper Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation exercises should be an integral part of your recovery journey. These movements are designed to target the injured area, promote healing, and restore strength and function. Focus on exercises that gradually reintroduce load to the injured muscle or joint without overstressing it.
For example, a client recovering from a lower-back injury may start with light hip-hinge movements like glute bridges before progressing to more challenging exercises such as Romanian deadlifts. Following structured rehab programs will help prevent re-injury and speed up recovery.
Our app incorporates exercise programs created by experts in Physiotherapy and Osteopathy, ensuring that users have access to injury-friendly movements at every stage of their fitness journey. The goal is to keep you moving while healing, rather than adopting an all-or-nothing approach.
Final Thoughts: Keep Moving and Stay Smart
Training with an injury requires a balance of patience and persistence. It’s crucial to prioritize recovery, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your fitness goals. By modifying your training, focusing on mobility, and following a rehabilitation program, you can maintain strength and fitness while your body heals.
Remember, your fitness journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Take care of your body today, and it will reward you in the long run. If you’re unsure how to modify your workout routine or need guidance, My Training Space offers a library of exercises and customizable programs designed with injury management in mind. It’s the perfect tool for keeping you on track, even when the unexpected happens.
About the Author
Dani Antonellos is a gym owner, co-director of Paddo Performance in Sydney, and a founder of My Training Space—an app combining knowledge from Osteopathy and Physiotherapy to help users train smarter, recover faster, and achieve their fitness goals. Dani has worked with thousands of clients to create performance-driven, injury-friendly programs accessible to users worldwide.