A Different Way to Move

Getting motivated to exercise isn't always an easy task, but the challenge can be that much greater when faced with an injury.Has this ever happened to you? You're chugging along , trying to get into shape, or stay in shape) burning calories, getting the 'ol ticker pumping, and something suddenly breaks yanks or otherwise goes off kilter.

I've been there, and man is it frustrating! I'm finally motivated and suddenly I'm stuck on the couch with my feet propped up watching The Young and the Restless with a bag of Cheetos on my lap. Or am I?

While it's true that injury leaves you at less than 100%, it doesn't have to mean you're necessarily down for the count. With a little creativity, care and common sense, you can still manage to work out -- even with an injury. Here's some tips for managing your exercise routine when you're injured.

1) Define your capabilities. Take a look at what is injured, and what's not. It's easy to look down at a sprained ankle and dwell on the fact your 5K training is nixed, or look at your broken arm and realize you're not doing laps at the pool any time soon. But chances are there are more parts of your body that are just fine than parts that are out of commission.

2) Isolate your injured area, and give it the rest it needs. There's an old adage where a patient will say, "My arm hurts when I move it like this," and the doctor says, "Then, don't move it like that!" Listening to your doctor overall is a good idea. "Working through the pain" should be limited to cases on minor muscle pain caused by things like spending a long time on the treadmill, or that extra game of tennis. Swelling is a big red flag. If you find one limb significantly larger than it's pair, you might benefit from giving in and taking a break. When the pain crosses that threshold from discomfort to actual pain, it's time to rest the injury.

3) Hit up the "bench" -- that is the parts of your body that don't always get as much exercise because your legs or arms, or whichever body part is injured is hogging all the glory. If your legs are out, do arm circles or shadow boxing from a chair. You may not be able to be as vigorous as you normally are with your workout, but the fact your moving in a way you're not used to can help your workout results, and maybe even provide you with a little extra variety once your injury heals.

4) Watch out for illness. While experts agree that it's fine to exercise with a cold, working out when you have a fever, are chilled or nauseated. Exercising with a fever can lead to increasing your already elevated temperature, and result in heat stroke. Exercising with nausea can increase you chances of dehydration.

5) Utilize your friends and family. Suppose you're resting an injured foot. It may be a good time to work on upper body strength. Having support around you can help not only with your frustration level, but can help you prevent you from overdoing it.

6) Keep a positive attitude and stay safe. Don't be afraid to consult your doctor or a physical therapist for special exercising for your particular type of injury. The last thing you want is to make a temporary setback permanent.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercisehealth/a/injuries.htm