Adapting Your Training

Adapting your exercise programme when you have injuries helps you stay active safely and support recovery without making things worse. The exact adjustments depend on the type and severity of your injury.

Key Principles for Adapting Your Exercise Programme

Listen to your body 

Pain is a warning signal, if an exercise causes sharp pain in the injured area, stop or modify it. Some mild discomfort or muscle fatigue is normal, but joint pain, swelling, or worsening symptoms are not.

Work around the injury, not through it 

Focus on exercises that don’t aggravate the injured area. For example, If you have a knee injury, you might swap running for cycling, swimming, or upper-body training. 

Adjust intensity and volume 

Reduce weight, speed, or impact to avoid overstressing the injury. Use shorter sets, lower resistance, or slower progressions. 

Modify movement patterns 

Use alternative equipment or variations, for example, seated exercises, resistance bands, resistance machines for more control. Swap high-impact moves, jumping and sprinting, for low-impact exercises such as cross trainer, rowing, and pool-based exercse.

Emphasise mobility and stability 

Include stretching, mobility drills, and exercises to strengthen stabilising muscles around the injured joint. Often, injuries are linked to imbalances that can be corrected with targeted rehabilitatrion.

Cross-train 

Use other muscle groups or activities to maintain fitness. For example, a shoulder injury might shift focus to lower-body strength and cardio. 

Gradual progression 

Reintroduce the injured area slowly, using a pain-free range of motion and progressively load over time. 

Consult professionals when needed

A physiotherapist or sports therapist can give you specific modifications and exercises to help recovery.

Example Adaptations

Knee injury → Avoid deep squats, jumping, or running; focus on cycling, swimming, seated leg extensions, or glute/hip strengthening.

Lower back pain → Swap heavy deadlifts for supported exercises, do core stability work (planks, bird-dogs), avoid high-impact twisting.

Shoulder injury → Replace overhead presses with lateral raises or landmine presses, focus on posture, avoid heavy overhead lifting.

Ankle sprain → Stick to seated or non-weight-bearing cardio (bike, rowing), include balance and calf strengthening later.

*Disclaimer

Our therapists provide injury treatment, advice, prevention, and rehabilitation exercises through sports massage, deep tissue massage, exercise programming and physiotherapy.

We provide educational content for informational purposes only. Aways seek a medical professionals care and advice regarding injuries.