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Why is rest important after an injury - Post injury support from GP in Costa del Sol

Post injury support from GP in Costa del Sol

After an injury your body needs time to recover properly. One major aspect of the healing process is rest. Although it might be tempting, working through the pain and moving on will only postpone your recovery. Therefore it is important that you give your body the time and rest it needs. However, some physical activities should also be part of your recovery plan. Within this article you will find out what you can do to support your body after any injury and when to get post injury support from GP in Costa del Sol.

How much rest does your body need? 

Because every person and every injury are different it is really difficult to tell exactly how much rest is needed in any given case. The crucial thing during the healing process is to avoid putting excessive stress on tissues that are seriously exhausted or wounded. However, you should still remain reasonably active. Bed rest or total rest is no longer recommended by physicians these days.

Sometimes it is clear what kind of activity you shouldn’t be doing. For example, after a sprained ankle you would naturally avoid any stressful activity and rest it for a couple of days. Treating your ankle with ice and compression, as well as elevating your foot, can help to decrease swelling and discomfort.

If you take the time and rest, your body can fully regenerate more quickly. However, the importance of rest might be less obvious or harder to sustain when you experience unexplained pain or your injury doesn’t seem to be healing. If you encounter difficulties with your recovery reach out to our post injury support from GP in Costa del Sol.

 

Why are people reluctant to rest? 

Some people, including athletes and sports people, are concerned that they lose muscle or get out of shape if they are resting after an injury. Because of this assumption, it can be difficult for them to give their body the necessary time to heal properly. But failing to rest sufficiently can prevent or delay recovery, which is much more likely to cause them to lose condition. Especially if this leads to chronic pain. Our post injury support from GP in Costa del Sol recommends that you only start restoring your fitness after you have healed completely.

Another often raised objection is the fear of gaining weight. However, the body weight is mainly influenced by the calorie intake, i.e. what and how much food you consume. So in order to maintain your body weight  you have to decrease your calorie intake when you are unable to exercise.


Relative resting

You should understand rest as a beneficial and meaningful tactic. However, resting well also means finding ways to remain active whilst healing takes place. You should focus on resting your injured tissues while engaging in other activities to keep yourself fit. Before you start exercising talk to our post injury support from GP in Costa del Sol to make sure the exercise is suitable for your condition. Some activities you can do include:   

  • Walking. It is an excellent exercise if your injury doesn’t affect your hips or legs. 
  • Swimming. The water helps to minimize the stress and the risk of additional harm. Do not choose this exercise if you suffer from a shoulder or certain knee injuries. 
  • Yoga. Some types of yoga can be a good way to keep yourself fit while resting your injured tissues. However, in order not to increase the risk of further damage it is necessary to find the right type. For more detailed information contact our post injury support from GP in Costa del Sol.
  • Gym training. This can be an option even for people who usually do not visit a gym. Strength training is an effective and excellent way to stay in shape. Also the accuracy of the exercise machines allows you to protect your injury during recovery. The experienced trainers in the gym can help and assist you if you have problems.

Post injury support from GP in Costa del Sol

Please contact our post injury support from GP in Costa del Sol if you need more information about how long you should rest or what kind of activities are suitable for you. Our job is to make sure you return to your everyday life as soon as possible.