OH! Magazine - Australian Version August 2015 | Page 10

MICHELLE
BRIDGES

SEVEN TIPS TO BOUNCING

BACK AFTER
INJURY

Michelle Bridges has these tips for recovering post-injury.

t’s a strange paradox but
unfortunately, if you’re an exerciser
there’s a good chance that you’ll suffer an
injury somewhere along the line.

I

As exercisers we consistently push our
bodies close to the limit and it doesn’t
take much – an uneven kerb, a not-quitewarmed-up muscle – before we can find
ourselves unexpectedly sidelined.
So at the risk of sounding like a bit of a
doomsayer, here’s some tips for when you
suffer the inevitable.

1.

Don’t let it get you down. Relish

in the knowledge that as an
exerciser, you will recover quicker than a
non-exerciser. This is because your veins
and capillaries are conditioned by regular
training for optimum blood flow and
therefore, better nutrient transportation
tends to occur to the affected area.

2.

10

In the case of a sprain or pretty
much anything that results in

AUGUST 2015 ( OH! MAGAZINE )

inflammation – ice the affected part
immediately, ten minutes on, ten minutes
off, and elevate it above your heart. This
will slow down any bleeding and
dramatically reduce your recovery time.

3.

Get professional help and

advice. My preference is either a
sports physiotherapist or osteopath who
themselves are exercisers. Getting advice
from a clearly deconditioned professional
never instills a lot confidence in me, so
give Dr Doolittle the flick and find
someone who’s on the same page as you!

4.

Our body’s response to injury

and trauma is to lay down scar
tissue as it heals. What you don’t want is
for the scar tissue to ‘clump’ so discourage
this by treating yourself to plenty of
massages.

5.

What you eat will substantially

influence your recovery, so this
is the time for high quality nutritious
food. I like to fast-track my return to

exercise by taking supplements rich in
growth promoting nutrients, in particular
a high quality protein powder, and the
amino acids leucine, isoleucine, valine,
and glutamine (which are also available in
my Blackmores range).

6.

It’s never good to rush back

from injury, but don’t get caught
in the trap of letting it derail your fitness
program altogether. Keep exercising your
non-affected body parts as soon as you
can. Don’t let yourself get out of the habit
of training.

7.

Prevention is the last piece of

the puzzle. Remember that we
become more prone to injury as we get
older – tendons and ligaments become
brittle, muscles shorten – so be sure to
warm up properly, and always incorporate
a stretching sequence to the end of each
session. Talk to the person who set up
your training regime to see if any
modifications can be made to prevent a
reoccurrence.

www.michellebridges.com.au

( Fitness )