A back injury is a serious issue. Becoming injured gives you a great excuse to let go of your workout routine, and also brings anxiety that any exercise could make the injury worse. However, if you want to stay fit after injuring your back, these exercises can help you stay active without risking further injury.
Do Yoga
Depending on how you’ve injured your back, yoga can be a great way to stay active after your injury. If your back injury is serious, bending and stretching into yoga poses may be harmful. However, if your injury is caused by tension or a pulled muscle, yoga can be a great way to loosen up and remain in shape. Most gyms offer yoga classes, but there are also many you can do from the comfort of your home.
Youtube creators are consistently publishing free yoga videos on the site. Yoga can be great for everything from building strength to increasing flexibility and stamina. If you’ve never tried yoga before, consider giving this form of exercise a shot.
Swimming
Swimming is another great form of exercise that is easy on your back. If you’re injured, running may not be the most appealing form of cardio for you. Swimming is much less harsh on your body, without making you sacrifice the quality of the workout. Swimming laps at your local pool (or lake, or any large body of water) helps strengthen your muscles and joints, your lungs, and gets your heart pumping.
It may help to stretch before getting in the pool to reduce pain. However, swimming will allow you to stay active without worrying about worsening your injury or dealing with your pain.
Recumbent Cycling
Swimming is great, but doing one thing for every cardio workout can get dull fast. Switching up your workouts regularly prevents you from getting bored, and shocks your muscles into strengthening themselves in different ways. Recumbent cycling involves cycling on a different type of bike that is built specifically to be good for your back.
You’ve likely seen these before at the gym. While they may look like a less impressive form of the bike, these bicycles can give you a great cardio workout without furthering your injury. If you’re not into the gym, they also sell recumbent bicycles that you can ride on the street. Get out into nature, or just get sweaty in the gym, all while letting your injury heal.
When you become injured, it’s easy to let your workout routine go out the window. Especially if the injury is bringing you pain, working out might not feel like a great idea. However, these options can help you stay active and strong without risking further injury.
Did you enjoy reading this article? Here’s more to read: Foods That Are Unexpectedly Good for Your Skin