By Clifford Krauss, CSEP-CPT, Bachelor of Health and Physical Literacy
Introduction
If you’ve ever had to press pause on your training because of a nagging injury, you know how discouraging it can be. Yet, training through injury doesn’t have to mean total stagnation. With the right approach, you can continue making gains—or at least preserve what you’ve built—without pushing your body into setbacks.
In this post, I’ll walk you through everything I use with my clients to stay effective during recovery. You’ll learn how to shift your mindset, customize workouts, maintain cardiovascular health, and support healing with smart habits. You’ll also see how to spot when rest or professional help is truly needed.
By the end, you’ll have a step-by-step plan you can apply right now—so your injury becomes a temporary detour, not a dead end.
1. Reframe Your Mindset Around Injury
The first barrier with injury isn’t physical—it’s mental. When pain shows up, it’s easy to feel like everything stops. But you don’t have to surrender your progress.
Progress isn’t linear. You may need to ease back, but that doesn’t mean you stop. Reframing your mindset means asking: What can I still do safely right now?
Strategies to shift mindset:
- Set small, measurable goals like regaining range of motion or maintaining strength in unaffected areas
- Celebrate micro-wins — even a pain-free movement is progress
- Use this time to strengthen neglected areas (mobility, core, technique)
When your goal becomes consistent, smart movement—not “doing everything”—you stay connected, motivated, and on track.
2. Work Around the Injury — Train What You Can
Even if a joint or muscle is hurting, there’s almost always something you can train. The trick is adapting.
2.1 Safe Work for Injured Limbs
Suppose you’ve rolled an ankle playing soccer. Running and pivots are off-limits, but you can still:
- Perform isolated strength work like leg extensions, hamstring curls, or glute bridges
- Use isometric holds (e.g., wall sits) to stimulate muscular tension without joint motion
- Train the upper body and core with presses, rows, pull-ups, or machine variations
2.2 Leverage Cross-Education (Unilateral Training)
One of the most powerful recovery hacks is cross-education: training your healthy limb can preserve strength in the injured side. A study in Frontiers in Physiology showed that unilateral training helps maintain strength in the untrained limb during immobilization.
Cross-education and unilateral training
This means your uninjured side work is not “extra” — it’s essential.
3. Maintain Conditioning — Low-Impact Options
Cardio is often dropped during injuries, but preserving cardiovascular fitness helps recovery and keeps your system primed.
Here are safe options based on injury type:
- Ankle or knee injuries: stationary bike, pool running
- Upper-body injuries: walking, elliptical, incline treadmill
- General limitations: arm ergometer, seated cardio
Cardio improves circulation, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to injured tissues. It supports healing, mitigates deconditioning, and keeps your engine running.
4. Zoom Out — Use Training Through Injury as a Reset
An injury can expose weak links or imbalances in your training. Use this as an opportunity to broaden your focus:
- Address mobility, posture, or weak stabilizers
- Develop unilateral control or balance
- Build aerobic base or movement quality in unaffected areas
By diversifying your focus, your return to full training becomes more robust and less injury-prone.
5. Respect the Recovery Process
Healing doesn’t respond to force — it responds to consistency and wise progression.
Safe recovery checklist:
- Movement is pain-free
- No swelling or joint instability
- You can control mechanics smoothly
- Load is increased gradually and within tolerance
When unsure, revert, regress, or pause. A physiotherapist or informed trainer should help you progress safely. The Canadian Physiotherapy Association provides good guidelines for safe return to activity.
Canadian Physiotherapy Association
6. Support Healing with Smart Habits
Your environment matters as much as your training. These habits accelerate recovery:
- Sleep: Aim for 7–9 hours. Research in Sports Medicine Open links better sleep to improved performance and tissue repair.
Sleep & Recovery Study - Protein: Consume 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day to support muscle and tissue repair
- Hydration: Maintain fluid balance to support nutrient transport
- Stress control: High stress elevates inflammation — use breathing, mindfulness, or light movement
When these areas are aligned, your body heals more reliably and strongly.
7. Mindset Reminder — Spoon vs. Shovel
One of my favorite ideas (credited to John Welbourn):
“Some days you get a shovel, some days you get a spoon. But as long as you move a little dirt each day, you’re heading towards your goal.”
Some training days you’ll push hard; others you’ll do only rehab or mobility. Both are meaningful.
8. When to Seek Professional Guidance
If your pain is sharp, swelling persists, or you experience numbness, it’s time to see an expert. Collaborative care between a physiotherapist and a knowledgeable trainer is ideal.
Authorities like ACSM and NSCA emphasize that rehabilitation should be gradual and monitored.
ACSM
NSCA
If you’re unsure where to start, schedule a consultation to get a plan that respects your injury and your goals.
Conclusion
Injury might be a bump in the road, but it doesn’t have to derail your journey. With mindset shifts, smart modifications, conditioning, and recovery habits, you can continue making progress—even while you heal.
If you need a step-by-step, personalized plan from an experienced personal trainer in Calgary, reach out to NateFit. Share your story or questions in the comments — your journey can help others too.
FAQs: Training Through Injury
Can I train with a soft tissue injury?
Yes — with modifications and avoiding aggravating movements. Always consult a qualified professional before you resume intensity.
Will I lose muscle during injury?
Some loss may occur, but cross-education and nutrition can preserve much of your strength.
What cardio is safe during recovery?
Low-impact options like cycling, swimming, elliptical, or arm ergometer are best, depending on the area affected.
When can I return to full training?
Once you regain pain-free motion, joint control, and receive clearance from a professional.
Should I use a trainer during recovery?
Absolutely. A trained coach can guide safe progression and ensure you don’t sabotage healing.
Author Bio
Clifford Krauss, CSEP-CPT, Bachelor of Health and Physical Literacy
With 6 years of experience and a lifetime of sports and physical activity, my approach blends real-world experience as an athlete with the most up-to-date exercise science to create the best path for you to achieve your goals.
