Can Weightlifting Help You Recover From Injuries?

Weightlifting is one of the most popular sports in the United States. In fact, 8.9% of people over the age of 15 in the U.S. participate in weightlifting, slightly ahead of running and second only to walking. The popularity of lifting weights is no big surprise, as it is one of the best ways to exercise and strengthen different parts of the body.

Weightlifting is also one of the safest sports and ways to exercise since lifters are not actively moving around with others near them where they may slip, fall, or collide. But still, if you don’t follow safe weightlifting practices or if you try to push yourself too much, you can still injure yourself while lifting. However, if you are smart and follow guidelines, you can not only avoid injury while weightlifting, but it can even help you prevent and recover from injury.

Every year in the United States, over 3.5 million children and adolescents suffer injuries while playing sports. There are also millions more adults who suffer injuries playing sports, as well as getting injured while working, taking part in other recreational activities, and in accidents. How they recover from their injuries depends on their particular circumstance, but weightlifting may play a crucial role.

In this article, we’ll examine the relationship between weightlifting and injury recovery, and explain why weightlifting is one of the best exercise recovery methods.

How Weightlifting Can Work as a Great Recovery Exercise

Weightlifting—also known as resistance training—can be a beneficial form of exercise for individuals recovering from injuries. This type of exercise can help to improve muscle strength, increase flexibility, and promote the healing of injured tissues. Let’s look at all of the different ways that weightlifting can help with recovery from injury:

• Muscle Strengthening - One of the primary benefits of weightlifting for injury recovery is the improvement of muscle strength. When an individual is recovering from an injury, the affected area may become weak and deconditioned. Resistance training can help to rebuild and strengthen the muscles around the injury, which can improve overall function and reduce the risk of re-injury.

• Increased Flexibility - Weightlifting can also improve flexibility and range of motion. When an individual is recovering from an injury, they may experience stiffness and decreased range of motion. Resistance training can help to increase the flexibility of the muscles and joints, which can improve overall mobility and decrease the risk of getting injured again.

• Tissue Healing - Additionally, weightlifting can promote the healing of injured tissues. When an individual engages in resistance training, it can increase blood flow to the affected area, which can deliver oxygen and nutrients to the injured tissues. This increased blood flow can also help to remove waste products from the area, which can aid in the healing process.

It is important to note that, while weightlifting can be beneficial for injury recovery, it should be done under the guidance of a healthcare professional, a personal trainer, or a certified Weightlifting coach. They can help to design a safe and effective exercise program that takes into consideration the individual's specific injury and recovery needs. This is especially crucial to not re-injure yourself and set your recovery back.

Furthermore, it is also important to start slowly and progress gradually. Starting with light weights and low-impact exercises can help to prevent further injury and allow the body to adjust to the demands of resistance training.

Ultimately, weightlifting can be a beneficial form of exercise for individuals recovering from injuries. It can help to improve muscle strength, increase flexibility, and promote the healing of injured tissues. However, it is important to seek guidance from a healthcare professional, personal trainer, or certified Weightlifting coach to ensure a safe and effective exercise program is implemented.

USA Weightlifting aims to strengthen the Weightlifting community at every level—from amateurs up to the Olympic Team. We believe that Weightlifting is everyone’s sport, and through it, we can strengthen individuals, communities, and our country. We are dedicated to keeping the sport clean, safe, and focused on challenging individuals physically to help build strength within.

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