If you’re like a lot of people, sometimes you may look for any reason to skip your workout. After all, a grueling exercise routine isn’t usually the most enjoyable experience, but we typically push through it in order to become a healthier version of ourselves. That said, if you have a legitimate excuse to skip your daily exercise, should you do it?
You don’t want to make things worse by exercising while you’re injured, but is skipping your workout really the best thing to do? In today’s blog, we explain whether you should exercise on a recently sprained ankle or if you should give yourself some time off from physical activity so as not to make things worse.
Exercising With A Sprained Ankle
As we say on a number of blogs, remember that this is just general advice, and you’re probably better off getting an individual recommendation from a physician who can view your ankle in person. All ankle sprains are unique, so what’s right for one person may not be right for another person.
Instead of answering the question in the blog title, we’re going to tweak it a bit before we provide an answer. You can absolutely exercise with a sprained ankle, but it’s usually recommended that you avoid exercising on a sprained ankle. What we mean by this is that there are certainly ways that you can exercise without putting strain on your feet. Your ankle is in a weakened and destabilized state in the wake of an ankle sprain, so putting additional stress on the area can serve to make the injury much worse. Short-term rest is usually advised after an ankle sprain, although a gradual reintroduction to light activity and physical therapy is often recommended after a few days.
So while you’ll want to avoid overstressing the area in the wake of an ankle sprain, you certainly don’t need to lay in bed for a week while healing runs its course. In fact, exercise can actually help to boost your circulation and push healthy blood to the injured structures that need it most. You’ll just want to be mindful of the type of exercise you’re pursuing. If you can modify your workout or your exercise routine so that it is non-weight bearing or light weight bearing, you should try to get some exercise in. For example, a light water-based workout or some arm/abdominal work can help you stay active after an injury without putting additional strain on the injured ankle. Find ways to stay active without stressing your ankle if it’s possible.
If it’s not possible, then you can certainly wait a couple days or longer to gradually return to your normal workout routine. Giving yourself some time away from physical activity is preferred to trying to push through the discomfort like there is no injury, because that’s how minor problems turn into major concerns. Give your body the time it needs to heal and slowly work your way back to a normal exercise routine. It may not be ideal, but it’s better than being sidelined for weeks or months because you suffered a significant injury and need surgery.