Coming Back from a Running Injury to Rebuild Momentum

In General by Adam Friedman

Hi, Adam here and welcome to my online Fitness Jump Start where I will address a question or concern each day from a variety of categories related to health, fitness, and nutrition. Here we go…

Leah, my cousin who is an avid runner, wrote and asked me on Facebook…how can she build back her momentum with running after an injury? Unfortunately injuries are a common interruption for any athlete, or fitness enthusiast. They are never welcome, but there is always something to be learned from the experience. It’s usually our body’s way of telling us to pay better attention to it.

Return from Injury by Learning the Cause

If after an injury we are not properly attending to the issue that caused the injury in the first place, or allowing adequate time for healing and rehab before we hit the ground running, then we are putting ourselves at risk for re-injury, or a compensatory new injury.

On the other hand, if we do respect our body, learn from the injury, and the associated experience of being limited in our activity, then the approach to rebuilding momentum will be thoughtfully planned out, and a return to form will happen soon enough. Here are some simple tips for returning from injury, and building momentum:

The Importance of Progressing Slowly with Injury Rehab

• Be fully healed and rehabbed before participating in activities that may aggravate the injury…Avoid anything that causes pain. If the injury required medical attention – Get clearance from your doctor or physical therapist.

• Learn what may have caused the injury, and focus on correcting that imbalance through stretching and strengthening.

• In building momentum, start slowly using low intensity, low volume, and plenty of recovery. Then progress over a period of weeks to higher levels of intensity, volume, and always give ample recovery for healing and regeneration.

• Map out your progression in a schedule, and stick to the plan.

I know that once we start feeling good again, we want to push ourselves even further, but this can easily backfire. If you are coming back from injury, and want to do it safely and efficiently, take a piece of paper now and write out an action plan with the strategies that will support your return to glory.

I also want to support you, and will make myself available to give you the coaching you want and need. Call, or email so we can get you on the fast track to reaching your goals. Again, you can schedule a free fitness or nutrition assessment.

Or you can call me directly at 1 310 396 2100 and I’ll talk with you about a personalized plan to fit your specific needs and goals.

Thanks for reading, and I will talk to you again soon.