Exercising During an Injury and Post Injury 

Why Warm – Up: The ultimate goal of a warm up is to reach the point known as the competition zone or the zone where the athlete is most warm and ready to complete their sport.  For individuals who are not regularly training or participating in activities to reach their competition zone does not take very long however, for an advanced level athlete it takes a little while longer simply because their muscle activation and neural prep takes longer to activate.  Warming – up is very important as it increases core temperature, improves muscle elasticity, increases metabolic rate, increases neural conduction and increases mental preparedness. 

There are many different types of warm ups, these include general; which are large muscle oriented and the goal is to increase body temp, specific; which is to enhance neural activity, preparation and the goal is to include movements part of your sport.  There is another way of warming up that is known and Passive warm ups include the use of clothing and heat modalities to warm the body up. 

Exercises with the Physiotherapist (During an Injury) 

The steps for injury rehabilitation take a long time depending on the injury sustained.  Many common injuries include lower back injuries, rotator cuff injuries, foot and ankle injuries, wrist and elbow injuries and knee injuries.  Some exercises that will be completed with the physical therapist are as follows: *(These are samples and exercises will differ based on injury) *

     Wrist and Hand 

     – Mostly using finger grips at different resistances, putty grip exercises, wrist flexion/extension exercises with a theraband and wax 

     Rotator Cuff Exercises (Shoulder) 

Exercise Order	Exercises	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Rest
1	Shoulder Retractions	10	10	10	15s
2	Shoulder Rows	10	10	10	15s
3	Shoulder Abduction	10	10	10	15s
4	Shoulder Flexion	10	10	10	15s
5	Shoulder External Rotation	10	10	10	15s

     Lower Back Exercises 

Exercise Order	Exercises	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Rest
1	Bird Dog	30s (per side)	30s p/s		15s
2	Superman	30s	30s		15s
3	Glute Bridge	1 min hold			15s
4	Glute Bridge on Ball	10			15s
5	Planks	30s			15s

     Foot and Ankle Exercises 

     – Exercises will be completed on wobble boards, bosu balls, theraband steps, step up boards and pro stretch pedals.  Bikes and treadmills are also used 

     Knee Exercises 

Sample Warm Up (Post Injury) 

Warm Up	Exercises	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	RPE	Rest	Tempo
1	Powerband Eagle	10PS				15s
2	Powerband Quad	10PS				15s
3	Powerband Hip Extension	10PS				15s
4	Jog	2 Minutes			5	30s
5	Walk Lunge	10 M	10 M		5	30s
6	Lawn Mowers	10 M	10 M			15s
7	Jump Squats	5	5	5	5	30s	X

Sample Workout Exercises (Post Injury Lower body)

Workout	Exercises	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	RPE	Rest	Tempo	Comments
A1	Depth Jumps	3	3	3	–	30s	X	Plyometric
B1	Banded Squat Jumps	5	5	5	–	30s	X	Plyometric
C1	Back Squats	10	10	10	6	1min	2:0:1:0	Complex Full Body
D1	RDL	10	10	10	6	1min	2:0:1:0	Hinge Movement
D2	Step Downs	6PS	6PS	6PS	6		2:0:1:0	Quad
E1	Lying Ham Curl	10	10	10	6	1min	2:0:2:0	Hamstring
F1	V-Ups	15	15	AMAP	–	30s	X	Core

Why is Exercising Important? 

     Physical activity completed 30 mins a day for 5 days a week has been proven to greatly improve the overall health of people.  Exercising can improve health and reduce the risk of developing Non communicable diseases like; CVD, Obesity and Diabetes.  Being physically active can provide immediate long-term effects and improve the quality of life of individuals.  In a physiotherapy setting conducting and completing exercise’s main goal is to strengthen the area around the joint to help provide stabilization so the risk of re-injuring the muscle or joint is low.  Strengthening joints and muscles also increase flexibility and as people age it will reduce the risk of falls.    

Why Cool Down? 

     Cooling down after an exercise will help reduce fatigue and soreness, aid in muscle recovery, facilitate muscle relaxation and enhance flexibility.  This is normally 10-20 mins after an exercise and would include static and dynamic stretches.  There are other recovery aids to cool down here are some but are not limited to; massages, ice baths, cooling packs, hot/cold showers etc.…