There is no wrath like that of an injured runner.
Am I right?
You can just about go out of your mind when you lose your favorite past-time, especially if you keep getting reinjured.
Those endorphins are for real.
Not only that, but you start to worry and fret the minute you know you are sidelined.
Panic sets in about how to stay fit.
Thoughts of losing all that hard-earned fitness start oozing into your imagination.
You envision yourself never running again, you can’t stop gaining weight and become an out-of-shape couch potato.
Or forever sentenced to the basement bike trainer, non weight bearing exercises as your only form of exercise, never again experiencing the fresh air and freedom that running gives you.
Or that you’ll have to give up a year’s worth of planned—and paid for—races. I could go on.
Today we are going to show you how to stay in shape when injured by giving you 9 tips to make you feel better, so no matter what running injuries come your way, you can stay positive.
If Abbey D’Agostino can remain upbeat during her comeback from her ACL tear during the Rio Olympics, you can too.
How to stay in shape when injured
I get it.
I’ve been there and experienced that craziness.
We all know injuries don’t last forever and that before long, we’ll be back at what we love.
But when you’re in the moment, it’s not that easy.
The good news is that most of that irrational thinking is indeed that: irrational.
After you’ve gotten over the panic and denial of an injury, it’s time to focus on what you can do to stay fit, both from a cardiovascular and strength aspect.
Because if it really is your goal to stay fit while injured, you can do it.
You might even end up with some gains in areas where you could really use them.
Read up on how to keep your fitness up through cross training, so that when the PT says those magic words, “you’re cleared to run”—you can get back at it without missing much of a beat.
What cross training will your injury allow?
This is step one, because there are some injuries that are going to be aggravated by certain activities.
Stress fractures, especially high risk fractures, for instance, are going to be best served with little to no weight bearing for some time.
A high hamstring tendonopathy will be irritated by things like dead lifts or setting your bike seat at its normal height (lower it, fyi).
Avoid any activities that are going to further anger your affected area so that you don’t experience any setbacks or delay your healing.
Thankfully, we have an article breaking down many of the most common running injuries, so you know which cross training exercises will help (and hinder) your recovery.
For almost all injuries, water is often the friendliest place to begin.
You can generally swim or water run with no ill effects and keep your cardiovascular system in tip top shape while at it.
In fact, water running—as admittedly dull as it can be—is probably the very best exercise you can do while injured due to its sports specificity.
It’s about as close to running as you can get.
Strap on that flotation belt and get at one of these 7 workouts that are guaranteed to make you work as hard as you would on land.
Strengthen your weakness
Even the best, fittest runners have some area that can use some improvement.
Injuries help shine a light on where we are lacking strength, mobility, or both.
Have a good PT give you a thorough assessment to figure out where you could use some improvement.
Sleepy glutes?
Poor range of motion in your ankles or hips?
All are typical runner problems.
Now is the time to identify these areas and get the prescriptions for fixing them.
Work these exercises like they are your job and follow your PT’s instructions to the T.
He or she is your advocate and best chance for making progress with the problems that got you into this mess.
Something just as important:
Even when you start to feel better, keep the rehab routine going.
I still maintain several rehab exercises from an injury I had three years ago because rehab also serves as good “pre-hab.”
Find on your strength
Runners like to run, and not much else, if truth be told. But that doesn’t mean we can skip the strength routine.
When we’re injured and have more time on our hands, there’s no excuse for not hitting the strength routines hard.
Learn a good running specific strength routine and then make it a part of your day.
You’ll come out the other end of your injury stronger and yes, less likely to have a recurrence of injury or to develop a new one.
The bonus?
You’ll increase your all around fitness level, too.
Because while most runners can be deemed fit on a cardiovascular level, overall strength and fitness is often sub par.
The strength work benefits extend beyond running and into overall health, something we should all have our eyes on.
If you need help developing and implementing a full strength training routine to decrease injury and improve performance, check out our Strength Training for Runners Program. It’s a step-by-step guide for exactly when and how to add strength training to your running routine.Click Here to Get Yours Now!
Make cross training easier with a friend
I am not a fan of water running, but if I have a friend with whom to share the “miles,” I can tolerate it.
The same goes for swimming when I want to up the yardage. Find a buddy who can share the misery, er. crosstraining.
If you have a solid network of running friends, finding someone who happens to be injured at the same time as you probably won’t be all that hard.
Set up a time, place and activity and then show up.
You won’t regret the time invested in maintaining fitness while getting to know someone a bit better.
Set up a schedule to stick to cross training
I’m guessing that as a runner, you faithfully plan your week’s mileage and then follow through.
There’s no reason to deviate from that approach when injured.
If you normally run in the early morning, plan your weekly workouts for the same time slots.
Factor in a rest day each week and then plan out your workouts.
Tuesday might be your favorite spin class plus strength work, for instance, followed by an easy pool running session on Wednesday.
Having the workouts planned and scheduled into your calendar will help you stay focused and dedicated.
Plus, you’ll feel more like your normal self.
Try something new to stay motivated when injured
When we’re heavy into training, we tend to push aside any intentions to try a new activity or form of crosstraining.
When we can’t run, however, there’s no reason not to dive into a new activity, provided your injury can tolerate it.
Always wanted to try Crossfit?
Why not now?
Ever dreamed of training for a triathlon?
Use your time away from running to hone your cycling skills and swimming savvy.
Or how about a rock climbing class?
Whatever your injury will allow you to do, go for it.
You might even find a new passion, one that enhances your running and leisure time.
Get outdoors
Many runners depend on a daily dose of sunshine to feel good; I know I certainly do.
When injured, you might be largely relegated to the indoors for crosstraining.
But if you can, find even 30 minutes to get outside for some fresh air and the feeling of sun on your face.
It will not only help keep your physical fitness up, but your mental as well, and that’s part of the game.
You can do this via riding a bike, hiking, swimming in an outdoor pool or the elliptigo if you have access to one.
The important thing is that dose of fresh air and (hopefully) sunshine.
Strengthen your core and upper body if you can’t exercise
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it 1,000 times: a strong core is so important to running.
But many runners make the mistake of thinking of the core as abs only. It goes beyond that to include your hips, your glutes and yes your abs, but all of them.
Find a PT or strength coach to educate you on all that you need to do in order to develop the right core strength for running.
Develop a routine that you can do several times per week and then set it in motion—plan to carry it over once you’re back to running, too.
While you’re at it, how about improving your upper body strength, too?
When you are in the final miles of a long run or a race, having good upper body strength will help power you through the fatigue that your legs are displaying.
Again, working with someone who knows the drill, develop the right approach to upper body strength and then put the time in.
It will pay off now and especially, later, when you’re back to regular running.
Rest to recover faster from injuries
Finally, don’t forget the role that rest plays in the equation.
No PT worth his or her salt will tell you to park it on the couch when injured.
However, I know when I’ve been injured in the past, my inclination is to immediately dive into all things crosstraining and give up my rest days in order to keep in top shape.
I’ve learned that’s a mistake:
You may not be training at the run intensities you like and are used to, but your body still needs a break.
In fact, more rest than normal might even be a good thing and help speed the healing.
Keep rest a priority no matter what.
If you need help developing and implementing a full strength training routine to decrease injury and improve performance, check out our Strength Training for Runners Program. It’s a step-by-step guide for exactly when and how to add strength training to your running routine.Click Here to Get Yours Now!
I’m not going to sugar coat it: injuries truly do suck.
But once you’ve accepted the place you are in, there’s no reason to panic and think that you can’t maintain fitness—you can and will, with just a little planning and effort.
Not only that, but you can come out a better form of your running self with the right approach. See you on the other side!
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