An injury can cause decreased endurance, flexibility, strength and power. Exercise, therefore, is an essential component of the rehabilitation process for any injury. Consult a physical therapist to develop an injury-specific rehab program and follow it closely, and visit your doctor if you suffer any setbacks.
Aerobic Exercises
Injuries often require a period of general inactivity to initiate the healing process, which can decrease your endurance and cardiovascular fitness. Therefore, performing aerobic exercises, such as cycling, jogging and walking, is a key element of the rehab process. This may be difficult if you've suffered a leg injury, but do whatever you can to stay active, and ask your physical therapist for suggestions. Try to complete at least 20 minutes of aerobic activity every day.
Stretching Exercises
Stretching daily is another vital component of any rehab program. Performing static and dynamic stretching exercises restores the range of motion of your affected joint or joints. Pressing your heels into the floor while leaning forward against a wall, for example, stretches your calf muscles and can help to restore your ankle-joint range of motion. The hamstring stretch, which involves reaching toward your feet from a seated or standing position, the quadriceps stretch, which involves pulling one heel at a time toward your buttocks, and the shoulder stretch, which involves pulling one arm at a time across your chest, are some other examples. Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, or lengthen and shorten the involved muscles repeatedly to stretch them dynamically.
Isometric Exercises
Isometric exercises are effective for stimulating your muscles if shortening and lengthening them repeatedly causes pain, usually early in the rehab process. These exercises involve contracting your muscles without moving your joints, like a bodybuilder flexing her muscles during a competition. An isometric quadriceps exercise, for example, involves straightening your legs and locking your knees tightly to contract the muscles on the front of your thighs. You can perform similar exercises for any muscle or muscle group in your body.
Resistance Exercises
Perform traditional resistance exercises once moving through normal ranges of motion no longer causes pain. Start with light resistance, using your body weight, light dumbbells or a resistance band, then progress to moderate to heavy resistance, using a barbell with weighted plates, heavier dumbbells or weight machines. Examples of traditional resistance exercises include the bench press, back extensions, biceps curls, crunches, deadlifts, forearm curls heel raises, leg extensions and curls, the leg press, lunges, medicine ball trunk rotations, squats, stepups and triceps extensions.
References
- "Essentials of Athletic Injury Management"; William Prentice and Daniel Arnheim; 2008
- "NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training"; Roger Earle and Thomas Baechle; 2004
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