How to Keep Training While Recovering From Injury
Train What You Can, Fix What You Can
Injuries have a way of making people feel like training has to stop altogether. Pain shows up, a diagnosis is given, and suddenly the mindset becomes “I’ll come back when I’m better.” The problem is that this all‑or‑nothing approach often leads to lost strength, reduced confidence, and a longer road back than necessary. In physiotherapy, continuing to train while recovering from injury is often encouraged when done with appropriate modifications, progressive rehabilitation, and professional guidance.
At Next Level Physiotherapy and Strength Studio, we take a different approach: train what you can train while you fix what you can fix.
For people dealing with pain or injury, physiotherapy provides structured guidance to modify training safely while addressing the underlying cause. You can learn more about our physiotherapy services in Varsity Lakes.
This philosophy recognises that injury doesn’t mean inactivity. With the right guidance, you can continue to train safely, maintain your fitness, and actively support your recovery.
Injury Doesn’t Mean Stop - It Means Adapt
Most injuries don’t affect your entire body. A sore shoulder doesn’t mean your legs suddenly can’t work. A cranky knee doesn’t mean you lose access to your upper body, core, or conditioning.
The key is understanding:
What movements are currently limited
What tissues need protection or targeted rehab
What can still be trained safely and effectively
When training is intelligently modified, it becomes a tool for recovery rather than a risk.
Structured rehabilitation programs are designed to progressively rebuild strength, movement tolerance, and confidence following injury. You can learn more about how our exercise-based rehabilitation physiotherapy helps support long-term recovery here.
Why Completely Resting Often Backfires
While short periods of rest can be appropriate, prolonged inactivity often creates new problems:
Loss of strength and muscle mass
Reduced cardiovascular fitness
Increased stiffness
Fear of movement and loss of confidence
By the time people feel “ready” to return, they’re often weaker, less resilient, and more prone to re‑injury.
Training, when done correctly, helps maintain tissue capacity, keeps the nervous system engaged, and preserves your identity as someone who trains.
Training and Rehab Shouldn’t Live in Separate Worlds
One of the biggest gaps in injury management is the disconnect between rehabilitation and strength training.
At our clinic, strength-based physiotherapy is our number one approach.
That means:
Your rehab exercises directly inform how you train
Your training loads are adjusted based on symptoms and progress
Movement quality, not just pain levels, guides decisions
Rather than rehab on one side and “real training” on the other, everything is part of the same process.
What “Train What You Can” Actually Looks Like
This isn’t about pushing through pain or ignoring symptoms. It’s about being strategic.
Depending on your injury, this might mean:
Modifying range of motion
Adjusting load, tempo, or exercise selection
Shifting focus to unilateral work, isometrics, or alternative patterns
Building capacity in surrounding or unaffected areas
You continue to feel challenged, strong, and capable, without aggravating the injury.
This approach is commonly used when managing injuries involving the back, shoulders, knees, and hips, where gradual loading and movement retraining play a major role in long-term recovery. You can learn more about physiotherapy treatment for these conditions below:
Physiotherapy for back pain
Physiotherapy for shoulder pain
Physiotherapy for knee pain
Physiotherapy for hip pain
Physiotherapy for neck pain
What “Fix What You Can” Means in Practice
Recovery isn’t passive. Simply waiting for pain to disappear rarely produces the best outcome.
“Fix what you can” means:
Targeted physiotherapy to address the root cause
Progressive loading of injured tissues
Improving mobility, control, and tolerance over time
Regular reassessment so rehab evolves as you improve
The goal isn’t just pain relief, it’s returning you to full training with confidence.
For athletes and active individuals returning to gym training or sport after injury, structured return-to-sport rehabilitation helps safely progress strength, load tolerance, and performance capacity.
The Psychological Side of Staying in the Game
One of the most overlooked benefits of continuing to train during injury is mental health.
Staying active helps:
Maintain routine and motivation
Reduce fear around movement
Reinforce trust in your body
Prevent the frustration that often comes with forced time off
Feeling like an athlete, even while injured, matters.
The End Goal: Stronger, Not Just “Pain‑Free”
Pain‑free doesn’t always mean prepared.
Our approach focuses on making sure that when you return to full training, you’re:
Strong enough for the demands of your sport or lifestyle
Confident in your movement
Less likely to experience the same injury again
That’s why we don’t rush people back; we build them forward.
You Don’t Have to Choose Between Training and Recovery
Injury doesn’t mean pressing pause on your progress.
With the right coaching and physiotherapy support, you can:
Keep training
Keep improving
Recover properly
Come back stronger than before
Train what you can train. Fix what you can fix.
Train While You Recover With The Right Plan
If you are unsure how to modify training while recovering from injury, a physiotherapy assessment can help identify movement limitations, injury risks, and create a structured plan that allows you to continue training safely while progressing recovery.
Physiotherapy can help you stay active, maintain strength, and reduce reinjury risk while building confidence in your return to full training.