The Benefits of Personal Training After an Injury

Getting injured is never fun, and depending on what type of injury you experience, returning to your previous level of fitness may take some time. Working with someone you know and trust, like an experienced personal trainer, can make your journey smoother and sometimes faster.

It’s important to note that personal trainers are not rehab specialists. Personal trainers work with clients who have fitness goals and can help prevent injuries and training around injuries. Rehab is conducted by physical therapists, who work with someone who has had an injury or orthopedic surgery and helps them return to activities of daily living like walking, sitting, standing, or reaching overhead.

Once someone is cleared for normal activity by the physical therapist, a personal trainer will help you get stronger. The two roles work together to ensure the patient/client gets the best care and training.

Here are some of the benefits of working with a personal trainer after an injury:

• Custom Workout Program: A personal trainer will create a program that matches the client’s needs and abilities to ensure they don’t aggravate the healing injury and maintain strength and stamina in other areas of the body.
• Proper Form and Technique: A personal trainer will coach you through the intricacies of each movement. They will help ensure your exercises are done safely and efficiently.
• Progressive Approach: Rather than diving right in where you left off, a personal trainer will take a step-by-step approach to helping you make gains in your custom plan.  Without this guidance, many do too much too soon and end up injured again.
• Building Strength and Mobility: When muscles aren’t used, they become weak. Working with a personal trainer can ensure you get stronger every session and can work on the areas of the body that need the most focus. They do so by coaching not only your technique but also focusing on how much complexity or load is used within each exercise to make sure the body gets pushed hard but not too far.
• Motivation, Accountability, and Emotional Support: Recovering from an injury is hard work and at times may seem like a daunting task. Your personal trainer will encourage you along the way and point out wins in your fitness you may not notice on your own.  They can be a positive addition to your training plan until you feel stronger and have fully recovered from your injury.

It’s important to work with a personal trainer who has experience with clients who are coming back to fitness after an injury to ensure you’re receiving safe and effective guidance. You’ll know you’ve chosen the right one if they ask for the notes from your physical therapy sessions, so they have a good idea of where the physical therapist left off and where they need to pick up. For more information about VASA’s certified personal trainers who specialize in post-rehabilitation, click here.