Tips on How to Quickly Return to Cross Training after Injury
Just like any other sport, CrossFit has its own fair share of risk. Every time you move massive weights or perform some complicated exercises, a possibility exists that you may be injured. You could also get injured while out for a jog or even walking down the stairs in the morning. However, the main thing here is not about the injury rates in CrossFit, but rather how to come back after the injury.
Rest and recovery is part of day-to-day CrossFit workouts, and even during injury, you need more rest so that your body can recover well. Below are some of the tips that will hasten your recovery during injury so that you can come back to the box life.
Listen to Your Body
When you are in the middle of a CrossFit workout routine, your body may be communicating something to you such as taking a rest or even stopping altogether. The same is applicable when you are coming back from injury. Listening to your body especially in the areas in which you got hurt is important. For instance, if it is the elbow that got hurt and when working out it flairs up, it is advisable you stop.
In the normal routine, if your body experiences some discomfort in a WOD, you may be inspired to press on. This is not the case when you are resuming from injury. The body system will hint to you whether it is ready to take on some weights or execute certain movements.
Follow Your Coach
The primary job of your coach is to ensure as an athlete you are safe. They help you to alter or scale a WOD to match your abilities. Listen to your coach carefully and more so when coming back from injury. The relationship you build with your coach comes in handy during recovery because he will tell you the steps to take as you work your way back to full fitness.
Seek Advice from Others Who Have Been There Before
A majority of CrossFitters have an athletic background, and this means at one time in their career, they may have suffered injury. Don’t be silent, talk to some of these athletes. They have firsthand experience and workable solutions on how to recover. While it is true that CrossFit injuries and recovery experiences differ from one person to the other, it is also true that you may pick one or two words of wisdom from what they went through.
Be Gradual
Irrespective of the injury you sustained, your body system requires time to start communicating again. There is a strong correlation between physical tasks and the channels of communication between your body and your brain. Most injuries involve nerve damages, and this may take time for the communication signals to be restored.
There is no point coming back to CrossFit to stress your body to perform at pre-injury levels. Scale your movements gradually as you build your fitness to a level where you will be comfortable taking off to full CrossFit training.
