Can You Still Do Small Group Personal Training While Injured?

You’re injured and you still want to join a small group personal training class. But you’re a little nervous. You want to heal so you can get back to regular life. And you definitely don’t want to make it worse. It also sucks a whole lot to sit around and do nothing, and you’re worried that you’ll lose the results you’ve worked so hard for, or that you’ll have to delay your training start for even longer.

 

To train or not to train? That is the question.

 

Well, I have a lot of good news for you. In most cases, training in a small group personal training class while injured isn’t just safe, it’s also a good idea. It can help you heal faster. That’s not magic or propaganda. It’s just how the body works.

 

However, there are also some cases that make training while injured a bad idea.

 

Let’s walk through the good and the bad so you can make an informed decision for yourself.

 

 

You Can Still Do Small Group Personal Training with These Kinds of Injuries

If you have a joint strain or muscle sprain that isn’t acute, you can still train. Acute means immediately after the injury when the inflammatory process kicks in. Say you roll your ankle during a trail run in the morning and you have a small group personal training strength session scheduled for the afternoon. It’s likely a good idea to reschedule that strength training session for the next day.

 

You can also train after a joint surgery once cleared by a doctor and there’s no chance of causing an infection or damaging the incision wounds. A rotator cuff surgery is a common example. Even if you’re in physical therapy for your surgical shoulder, you can still train your non-surgical arm. In fact, you can do a lot more than that.

 

These examples translate to joints and muscles throughout the body, barring a couple that we’ll talk about later on. First, let’s talk about how training while injured is beneficial.

 

 

How Training While Injured Helps You Heal and Keeps You Sane

A lot of people go sedentary when they’re injured, and this is a big mistake.

 

First, it kills all the behaviors that trigger healthy habits. Scheduled workouts, walks, and routines in general subconsciously drive us to make better lifestyle choices, from sleep to food. Completely shutting down when injured removes the subconscious triggers that drive you to take care of yourself. Continuing to train keeps your triggers intact. Not only does this keep you from losing all that you’ve gained, it helps you take good care of yourself so you recover faster.

 

Second, becoming sedentary after an injury can boost feelings of anxiety and depression. Partially, it’s due to the loss of doing things you enjoy and taking purposeful action. But also, sitting around all the time just isn’t good for your brain. It needs you to move. It needs things to do. Training while injured keeps your head on straight because movement is important for mental health. Sitting and waiting turns us into “prey animals,” always looking over our shoulders. Doing what we can with what we have gives us purpose and keeps us from being overwhelmed by the fallout from an injury.

 

Third, injuries need good blood flow to heal. Sitting still reduces blood flow. Training and moving pushes more blood through the body, helping it get to injured areas so they get the nutrients necessary for healing. Tendons and ligaments receive poor blood flow at baseline. So, they need all the help they can get while injured. Strength training and aerobic conditioning each increase blood flow to help injuries heal.

 

There’s also a phenomenon called the crossover-effect. When you train a non-injured limb, the injured limb gets stronger. This happens because strength is mostly neurological. The same strength signals being sent to the working limb get sent to the injured limb. It keeps you from losing strength in the injured limb as it heals while also helping it to recover faster.

 

All of this is great and will work to help you heal. However, it won’t happen if you don’t adopt the right mindset. Start by telling yourself:

 

There’s always something I can do.

 

This keeps you focused on action instead of focusing on everything you’ve lost by being injured. Self-pity parties don’t help you move forward. Doing what you can with what you have, does.

 

The goal isn’t to stop training.

 

The goal is to continue training intelligently.

 

A good coach doesn’t ask, “What can’t you do?”

 

A good coach asks, “What CAN you do?”

 

Because even with an injury, there is almost always a way to maintain strength, preserve endurance, protect mental health, and continue moving toward your goals.

 

This all said, there are some injuries that require a break from training.

 

 

Injuries You Shouldn’t Train Through

Head injuries (concussions, etc.), spinal injuries, acute infections, hemorrhages, and acute joint injuries all require training breaks. Training with any of these injuries could make a bad situation far worse. If you’re dealing with one of these, it’s best to allow yourself to rest and strictly follow the advice of your medical team. Once the danger passes, then you can get back to getting after it.

 

 

A Good Small Group Personal Training Coach is Pivotal

If you’re injured but still want to do small group personal training, you need a coach who knows what they’re doing. You’ll need specific exercise and workout modifications. And you need someone who knows how to make them for you. But you’re also part of the equation.

 

You must advocate for yourself by asking good questions. Here are some examples.

 

What workouts make sense for me with my injury?

 

How will you modify exercises and workouts to make sure I don’t make my injury worse while continuing to make progress?

 

Have you ever worked with someone with my injury before?

 

The right coach will be able to quickly and simply answer those questions for you in a way that you understand. If they can’t, don’t train with them while you’re injured.

 

We’ve helped members successfully train around everything from rotator cuff surgeries, ACL reconstruction to plantar fasciitis, shoulder pain, low back pain, Achilles injuries, and meniscus repairs. While every injury is unique and no outcome can be guaranteed, most people are capable of doing far more than they initially think. The key is having a plan and a coach who knows how to adapt it.

 

 

Yes, You Can Still Do Small Group Personal Training While Injured

Injuries are frustrating, but they aren’t a training red light. You can still make progress with small group personal training while injured, and good training will help you heal while keeping your mental health from sliding. But you do have to be careful with some injuries and allow for recovery before training again. And it’s best to have a good small group personal training coach to guide you through the process.

Injuries are frustrating because they interrupt the things we love to do. But an injury doesn’t mean you stop being an athlete. It doesn’t mean you stop being someone who trains. And it certainly doesn’t mean you stop taking care of yourself.

Sometimes progress means pushing hard.

Sometimes progress means adapting.

But either way, the goal stays the same: do what you can with what you have and keep moving forward.

If you’re injured but want to train, click the link below to schedule a free intro at Beyond Strength. We’ll sit down with you and develop a detailed plan that helps you heal and gets you the training results you want.

 

Stop overthinking your fitness.

If you’re new here, explore our New Member Guide.

And if you’re ready to get started, schedule a free intro below and we’ll help you build a plan that actually works for your life.

 

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