A question that seems to come up in my practice fairly often (and was actually formally submitted to my website as a request for a blog article) is, “How can I stay active even though I have this injury?” This roughly translates to, “How can I get the benefits of exercise without risk of hurting myself?” This can be a difficult problem for many people, especially those who are frustrated by constant injuries when doing exercises that are designed for seventeen-year-old male athletes. You would be surprised with the transformation your body could take in a matter of months or years, but you are likely not a seventeen-year-old athlete and should not be attempting Olympic-style weight training.

Many doctors and trainers will recommend walking as the only option for a low-impact exercise routine. This blogger seems to offer a “variety of options,” including power walking, trail walking and hiking. If you enjoy walking, then go for it! Start out slow if you haven’t been active in a long time. Maybe just a few blocks and back to your house to see how you’re feeling. Try not to overexert yourself the first time out if you’re not confident, or you may end up hurting yourself and becoming discouraged. Some walking is better than no walking at all!

If you’re like me, though, too much walking can be a bit difficult on the knees, hips and ankles. If that is the case, don’t despair! There are other options for you. For example, this study by NASA shows that “rebounding,” or jumping on a small trampoline is incredibly beneficial to the strength and health of your whole body. This can be less of an impact on your joints as you are cushioned by the elastic of the trampoline. While all of these exercises will help to reduce inflammation, this is likely the best choice to reduce painful/chronic inflammation because of how well it moves around lymphatic fluids in you body.

Plus, it’s a whole lot of fun! When was the last time you jumped on a trampoline? Age twelve? Get to it!

My personal favorite exercise which is a great workout for your whole body and is very unlikely to result in injury, is lap swimming! If you have a local pool you can go to, try it out and see how it makes you feel. Be sure that there is a life guard on duty in case you cramp up and have trouble swimming back to the side of the pool. As with any exercise, listen to your body. Does it feel like you’re starting to push too hard and the good pain is turning into a bad pain? Take it easy, then. It’s not a race! Here’s a great little article on how to get started swimming laps.