Returning to exercise after…injury

It’s always devastating to bow out of an activity you love to do because of injury. Equally challenging is the psychological hurdle when you’re on the mend. Questions like ‘Will I be able to move like before? Will I now have a permanent niggle?’ can ruminate over and over again.

In the final installment of my three part Trainer Tip series, I sought out the expertise of Kieran Maguire from Science of Fitness (SOF). Kieran holds a degree in Exercise Science and later this year will complete his Masters in the same field, majoring in strength and conditioning. He’s one of the head trainers at SOF, specialising in athletic development and exercise delivery. And he is definitely a man in the know.

Ask That Fit Girl > What are common injuries and why do they occur?

At SOF, the common injuries I see and help people recover from concern the shoulders, lower back, knees and ankles.

For a lot of us, we go from school onto uni/learning a trade, to starting work. And what happens is our bodies stop moving in the way they once did. We’re not exercising as much and we’re in work environments that have us hunching forward. So when we do return to something – like social sport – because of our lack of regular activity, injuries occur.

The problem is we expect our bodies to move in a certain way, but without subjecting it to regular activity we’re susceptible to injury. It’s like learning a language. When we use it, we remember it, and we retain the information. But when we stop, we have no hope of recall – and the same applies to how our bodies move.

I refer to it as ‘movement literacy’. The longer we go without moving and educating ourselves about the importance of activity and how to factor it into our day, our literacy levels drop off. As a consequence, injuries can happen.

Ask That Fit Girl > How soon can someone return to exercise after injury?

This is subjective and there are many variables to consider. For example, the type of injury, the severity and whether rehab, physio or surgery is needed would impact your return to exercise. And it will differ for every individual. For some, it might mean getting back into their old routine within a week, for others it could be six months. A person’s mental attitude or psychology also plays a major role.

I have worked with numerous clients who have struggled to push through this mental barrier. While their injuries have healed, they’re still tentative about returning to their previous form. In most cases, the worry is about exposing the injury to stress, like putting weight onto it. This is where working with a trained professional is important. We can provide the safe and supportive environment where you can stress the area that’s recovering from injury and give you the tools, knowledge and confidence to move forward.

Ask That Fit Girl > Obviously, the injury will dictate the specific exercises or rehab needed to get back on track. But are there general exercises people can do to improve or speed up recovery?

It’s always important to follow the treatment advice that’s prescribed. For a good portion of injuries, that may involve seeing a physio or exercise physiologist or exercise scientist. We’ll come up with a rehabilitation plan that is tailored to you and your injury and work with you to achieve your goals.

The general advice I’d offer is to build your confidence with movement to a level perhaps higher than before the injury occurred. What I mean by that is improving what is termed “proprioception”, the “map” of your body in your brain as well as your sense of awareness in space. The most common occurrence I see with injury rehabilitation is the injury is cleared as healed but movement patterns have been compensated. For example, walking with a slight limp or favouring one side.

A good trainer would be able to identify this and not only correct, but educate you on the “why and how” these things happen. This for me is a crucial aspect of training. If you can have confidence in your body because you understand how it works, you’re far more likely to get over the major psychological hurdles that coincide with injuries. It’s about becoming independent about your body and your health.

Ask That Fit Girl > What can people do to prevent injuries in the future?

Prevention starts with knowledge. If it’s been awhile and you’re looking to embark on a new activity/exercise/social sport, I’d recommend finding someone that understands body mechanics, who can put together a training program for you. Make the time and effort to see someone so in the long run there’s less to fix when our bodies do start to slow down.

And there are a tonne of qualified professionals who can help. In my undergraduate degree, there were 250 of us who graduated from Edith Cowan University in Perth.  Multiply that by the number of individuals completing similar degrees across Australia and you can see we’ve got a healthy number of professionals invested in improving our health, fitness and performance. Exercise Sports Science Australia (ESSA) provides a full list of accredited members who are qualified and can help you achieve your goals.

At school, we’re not taught about the mechanics of body movement. My goal is to work with individuals to improve their movement literacy so that they can take what they’ve learnt and embrace their new found knowledge.

Kieran is a qualified Exercise Scientist.

With 5 years experience in the health and fitness industry Kieran brings a wealth of knowledge to the SOF team. He is a qualified and ESSA registered exercise scientist with his experience spanning from clinical populations to elite sporting teams such as the Western Force. Kieran is driven by a deep passion for improving people lives with physical movement. He believes that the role of health and fitness is becoming increasingly important in the modern world and is a crucial part of an individual’s life.

You can follow Kieran and the SOF team on Facebook and Instagram and their website has more information on upcoming events.

For Ask That Fit Girl readers that haven’t been to SOF before, they offer a 1 week free trial to try out the group fitness program. Simply register online at: www.scienceoffitness.com.au/group-fitness (and hit the link) or email: info@scienceoffitness.com.au. Personal training is also available with the team at SOF contact 0468 924 005 for more information. Cheers, thanks Kieran!

*Remember to always seek the advice of your GP before starting exercise if you have concerns.