Does Exercise Speed Up Healing?

Whether you should exercise during the healing process depends greatly on the injury or illness sustained. Sudden injuries occurring while exercising or playing are acute. Chronic injuries develop over a long period of participating in the same activity. Once have sought appropriate medical care, exercise may be helpful.

When Not to Exercise

Certain ailments call for medical care, and you should not exercise until cleared to do so. Feeling extreme pain or sudden and severe swelling are often signs of a serious injury that necessitate a doctor. Inability to bear weight, visible joint dislocations and loss of feeling are additional symptoms that require medical attention. Exercise is also ill advised for those with flare-ups of past injuries, as these need checking out.

Initial Treatment

The initial treatment for an injury typically involves rest, ice, compression and elevation. Before jumping back into your workout routine, taking a couple of days to tend to your impairment. For the first two days after an injury, rest your injury, keep weight off it and minimize your activity level. Ice the area, usually in 20-minute intervals for the first few hours and several times throughout those first 48 hours. Compression helps keep swelling to a minimum. Wrap the injury with a bandage that keeps a tolerable amount of pressure on it. Elevate the hurt area above the heart.

Exercise and Recovery

Postinjury exercise may speed healing if you have taken the appropriate steps and ease yourself back into working out. Doctors often recommend specific exercises to help you through your recovery. These exercises begin with simple range of motion movements to get the area moving again. Little by little, they will progress in intensity, difficulty and duration until you reach your preinjury potential again.

Stretching

Stretching is a crucial aspect of the healing process. Warming up and stretching prior to exercising will loosen up injured areas which keeps stiffness at bay and prevents further problems. If it hurts to stretch the affected area or you notice any swelling or tightness, it is probably better to wait until these symptoms subside before exercising. Make sure to take your time getting back into your workouts because pushing an already injured are too far can lead to permanent damage.