Understanding how to care for an injury while maintaining a workout routine is important. The last thing you want to do is injury yourself, but then make that injury worse which can prevent you from workout out all together. Understanding things you can do to speed up that recovery is key.

Time of Injury, up to 2 weeks later:

The INFLAMMATION PHASE is the first “phase” of an injury. It lasts anywhere between 5-7 days and up to 2 weeks depending on your care. This is where you AVOID activation of that muscle group and avoid the use of that area for up to 2 weeks.

R.I.C.E.s

Rest, ice, compression, and elevation, maybe even put it in a sling for a bit.

REST that injured region. DO NOT work it out. AND GET SLEEP!

ICE it and fight the swelling and excessive inflation that gets in the way of a faster recovery and helps slow blood flow which slows and reduces swelling.

COMPRESS the region to assist in the inflammation reduction and slow blood flow. WEAR compression sleeves over that region.

ELEVATE the region, if possible, to assist in reducing and slowing inflation.

Put in in a SLING to prevent usage.

BABY the F out of that area so that the only thing it does, is heal.

1 to 2 weeks after Time of Injury:

The REPAIR PHASE begins 1-2 weeks after the initial injury and can take up to 2 months. This is where stretching, nutrition, and LIGHT to less-than-strenuous workouts may be performed but NOT at a difficult or strenuous manner. Minor use to support blood flow and focal repair stimulation can help heal that muscle faster than if you did nothing at all.

Of course, always seek professional medical advice before working that injured region out, but, regardless there are always at-home safe things you can do.

The remodeling phase (type 1 collagen production) can take up to 4 months, or more, depending on what you have done up to this point and your body over all. This is where you can GRADUALLY and MAYBE start increasing your work out up to where you were before the injury. Do moderate reps and low weight for a bit.

F.M.S.

(Fix My Self!)

Form, motion, and stretching.

This is where you can FOCUS on your form, proper range of motion, and stretching. Perfect your form so that this risk injury is reduced in the future. Ensure you are utilizing the full and correct range of motion. STRETCH before and after every workout. Warm up your muscles before you workout and help circulate nutrients and lactic acid after workouts.

While your body repairs your damaged tissue, you are busy repairing your form, motion, and mental state.

NUTRITION IS IMPORTANT!

Your body can not heal properly or quickly if YOU are not giving it the correct nutrition needed to heal! Duh.

• Multivitamin: Very important. Helps prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Aids tissue repair.
• Zinc: Important in tissue repair.
• Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids: An important antioxidant which helps tissue repair and growth.
• Manganese: Strengthens wounded tendons and ligaments.
• BCAA’s: Help promote the healing of muscle tissue, bones, and skin.
• EFA’s (essential fatty acids): Speed up recovery and promotes cellular health.
• Vitamin B Complex: Helps reduce injury related stress.
• Glucosamine Sulfate: Helps strengthen and form tendons, cartilage, ligaments, and joint fluid.
• Calcium: Helps repair connective tissue.
• Silica: Important for calcium absorption and connective tissue repair.