When I was a junior in college, I fell and broke my wrist while skiing. My family would drive to Colorado every year to ski on the beautiful Rocky Mountain slopes and over the course of decades, none of us ever had a serious fall or sustained any injuries. Unfortunately, in late December 2012, my luck ran out.
This injury was quite severe. My hand and wrist swelled up bigger than a softball; there was a huge fracture line and the upper corner of my ulna was shattered into tiny pieces. I needed surgery to repair the damaged bones and secure my wrist with a 2-inch titanium plate. I’ll never forget how I felt when I came out from anesthesia. I was so confused and overwhelmed that I started bawling in the recovery room!
After surgery, I began a long recovery process to heal and regain normal use of my arm and hand. At the time I was still studying music and I needed my left arm and wrist to support my trombone. I was also well into my second year of powerlifting and anxious to get back into the gym. So I can relate the feelings of frustration many of my clients feel when dealing with injuries. I hated not being able to do the things I loved and felt like all my progress both in music and in the gym was slipping away as I worked through physical therapy.
Ultimately, I was lucky to make a full recovery. I owe a lot to my talented surgeon and physical therapist. But I also followed a series of steps to ensure I was truly ready to return to my normal life without any additional setbacks.
Many of my in-person clients come to me after an injury to help them get back into the gym with a smarter, safer approach. Below are the three most important considerations I make to help these clients transition smoothly.
Make sure you’ve been fully cleared to work out.
Just because you’re itching to get back in the gym doesn’t mean you’re ready. Certain injuries, especially broken bones or anything requiring surgery, can take a long time to heal. If you return to the gym before you’re fully recovered, you risk re-injuring yourself.
If you’re still undergoing treatment or therapy, you can ensure a faster and more complete recovery by diligently performing any additional exercises assigned to you. When I broke my wrist I found this “homework” incredibly dull and annoying. But by doing it anyway, I breezed through therapy and regained full range of motion in my fingers, hand, and wrist.
On a related note, please take care of yourself and get the care you need if you think you may be injured. I’ve met with several new members at my gym who were dealing with consistent pain or limitations but for whatever reason, refused to see a doctor. I won’t work with clients like this because it’s not fair to me or to them. Your future self will thank you if you get checked out!
You can ask your doctor and/or physical therapist when they think you’ll be ready to train. When they give you the green light, you can safely return to the gym following the guidelines I’ll discuss below. If not, it’s best to wait until you’ve been fully cleared.
Train smarter
Even when you’ve been cleared for exercise, you should not jump right back into your old training regimen. This is especially true if you injured yourself working out.
Start slow and do less than you think you can in your initial workouts. Back off your weights and reduce your workout time. Don’t do anything that causes pain or has been specifically forbidden by your doctor or physical therapist. You may need to find alternative exercises for your old standbys.
For example, I work with many clients recovering from shoulder injuries. Direct overhead pressing is out of the question for these clients. However, they can still train their shoulders and use pressing movements. I work with them to master proper shoulder mechanics using rows and horizontal pushing. Next, I teach them to safely press using a landmine. You can get a great training effect using landmine pressing without the risk of pressing directly overhead. Workarounds like this exist for every conceivable injury; you just need to be smart and get creative.
Although it’s tough to generalize since injuries vary so widely, it’s usually wise to avoid barbell lifts for a while. Instead, use bodyweight exercises or load movements with bands, cables, dumbbells, and kettlebells. If after a month of training you’re feeling pretty good, then you can start adding back in your favorite barbell lifts.
Note – I wrote a whole series of blog posts about training around specific injuries, including my favorite workarounds and preventative exercises for each injury. Check them out here: Low back Part 1 and Part 2, Knees Part 1 and Part 2, Shoulders Part 1 and Part 2.
Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.
Don’t be the person who spends all their gym time foam rolling and performing physical therapy exercises. Once you’ve been cleared to train, you will benefit more from a structured challenge than from babying yourself. Find safe opportunities within your limits to push your body and mind.
With a good training program, an eye for form, and patience, you can potentially regain much of your lost strength, mobility, and resiliency (depending, of course, on your age, the severity of your injury and the quality of the treatment you received). But if you’re perpetually scared of re-injuring yourself, you will stagnate and never get any better.
I recommend working with a qualified in-person trainer as you work your way back to full strength. It’s helpful to have a trained eye watching your form who can tell you when to push and when to pull back to avoid dangerous compensations. If you live in Chicago, please reach out to me here. If you live elsewhere, you can reach out anyway and I will try to recommend someone from my professional network.
Injuries, even serious ones, aren’t a death sentence for your health and fitness goals. If you prioritize recovery and follow a structured, smart, and appropriately challenging training plan when you’re ready to return to the gym, you will still be able to push yourself and improve your life through exercise.
Want to work on squats and deadlifts without exacerbating pain and injuries? Download your free copy of my ebook Squat and Deadlift School below. I share the exact progressions and exercises I use to help clients feel strong and confident with these exercises, including ways to modify your training if you’re recovering from an injury.