When injured, slow down – but keep on training

You've been training for the big race for months now and suddenly you injure your knee. Should you stick to the motto "no pain, no gain," and continue training?

It's either that or take a complete break from training to heal and risk losing some of your progress. But are these your only options?

Most fitness and rehab experts don't think so. As it takes only 10 to 14 days to lose cardiovascular fitness, Brian Cammarota, a physical therapist and athletic trainer and partner at Symetrix Sports Performance, recommends you continue some form of training unless it makes the injury worse.

He believes you can still use the injured body part as long as you lighten up the usual load on it, provided it is not a severe injury. "If it still hurts, though, then stop," he cautioned.

However, that doesn't mean you should exercise only the uninjured knee. When you move differently to compensate for an injury, you throw your body off balance - which could lead to further injury.

"Anything that changes your body movement is bad. Limping is a sign you should stop," Cammarota said.

Michael J. Ross, a sports medicine physician with the Rothman Institute and director of the Performance Lab, agrees injuries heal better if they aren't aggravated further. "If it hurts doing pull-ups, find the underlying biomechanical problem and fix it. In the meantime, don't do any exercise with your hands over your head."

Jon Baer, a licensed massage therapist at the Sporting Club at the Bellevue, stresses self-care after a workout. He suggests icing any inflammation, using a topical analgesic, taking a nonsteroidal antiflammatory medicine, or putting on a compression sleeve to help with recovery between workouts.

Bottom line: To stay in motion without aggravating an injury, get creative with your training. Runners can use an elliptical machine or anti-gravity treadmill, or run in the pool while recovering. If you have a shoulder injury, concentrate on core exercises until you can move your shoulder without pain. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist for ideas on how to continue your training without making an injury any worse.