Is it okay to workout with an injury?
Yes and No..
Let me explain.
If you have some light soreness in a specific area that bothers you, as long as you aren’t in severe pain then you can probably still workout. However, you’d have to workout smart, not just push through the pain.
Here’s what I mean.
Let’s take my elbow pain for example. I know that certain movements like weighted pull-ups hurt my elbow. Every time I did them, I’d feel that pulling type pain again. How did I avoid this?
I simply worked around it! Anything that I knew bothered me, I just didn’t do it or I’d find an alternative movement to still activate the same muscles but not strain my elbow further. If I felt pain, I stopped. Yes it may take a bit longer to heal this way but for the workout fanatics like myself, this is an okay place to settle.
Of course generally speaking you should just shut it down and let yourself heal but gains don’t have time for that! I can’t stop unless you tie me down so I get it. I’ve worked through many injuries before but as long as you’re smart, you can find ways to still get effective workouts in.
Now on the flip side, if you tear a ligament or tendon, you got a problem. Tendonitis is one thing. That will heal over time. Tearing muscles in your joints is a new ballgame. This you can’t mess with.
You may go to PT or just do light movements to strengthen the surrounding areas but this can play a big role in form and discrepancies due to using one side more than the other. This isn’t worth fighting through because tears don’t heal on their own. They usually require surgery. Therefore, be smart!
If you have a severe injury, rest. If you feel good enough to workout, work out the surrounding areas and if you ever feel pain… STOP. It’s not worth making worse and being out longer.
If you’re like me, it’s hard to rest even when injured. Just remember our body only actually gets stronger when we’re resting and our muscle fibers repair.
Don’t be afraid to rest when your body is telling you that you need it!
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