It may seem counter-intuitive, but the correct amount and type of exercise can actually help rebuild and repair injured muscles. Now, that’s not to say you should go out and run a marathon immediately after pulling your hamstring. When you damage a muscle it heals in time if given the correct treatment, but it will not be as strong as it was before the injury. Light workouts, periodically increasing in intensity, will help to facilitate the rebuilding of muscles that were previously damaged and are now ready to begin the rebuilding process. Put simply, muscles are comprised of slow and fast twitch fibers, so to rebuild general muscle strength you have to facilitate the growth of both types equally. The following is an outline of some of the best means of doing just that.
Slow Twitch
Description: Slow muscles are more efficient at converting oxygen into usable energy for prolonged muscle use. They can be worked a lot longer before they fatigue because they fire more slowly than fast muscles. These muscles are considered to be aerobic because they require oxygen to operate.
How To Rebuild: To rebuild these muscles you want to focus on exercises that improve your endurance. Resistance training is usually the most helpful in building your overall endurance. For example, if you previously injured a muscle in your leg, going for progressively longer and longer jogs will help to build up your muscles’ endurance. Look up other aerobic exercises that pertain to the muscles you’re hoping to rebuild for more specific information.
Fast Twitch
Description: Fast twitch fibers are much better at generating quick bursts of strength because they rely on anaerobic metabolism to create energy from reserves. However, this is also the reason they fatigue more quickly. Technically they provide the same amount of force as slow muscles but they fire much more rapidly, getting that force out more quickly.
How To Rebuild: Your fast twitch muscles are not your marathoners. To help rebuild them you need to perform exercises that require bursts of energy. To return to the leg example, try repeating sets of short sprints to begin the rebuild process, increasing the number of sets and distance as you get stronger. Again, search the web for aerobic exercises that work the specific muscles required for your recovery.
Remember that these tips are to be taken advantage of only after your injured muscle has healed to the point that you’re not longer at risk of further damaging it by putting it to work. And keep in mind that you should always consult a doctor before starting any exercise program.
Muscle injuries as the result of an accident should be thoroughly examined by a medical professional before any steps are taken to fix them. If your muscle issues are the result of an accident injury, consider consulting a Portland personal injury attorney for advice on how to proceed. Moving forward at your own pace and seeking professional help is key to making a successful recovery. Hopefully you’ve found these tips useful and you’re well on your way to improved health and strength.
*Our content is not intended to provide medical advice or diagnosis of individual problems or circumstances, nor should it be implied that we are a substitute for professional medical advice. Users / readers are always advised to consult their Healthcare Professional prior to starting any new remedy, therapy or treatment. Your Wellness Group accepts no liability in the event you, a user of n-gage and a reader of this article, suffers a loss as a result of reliance upon or inappropriate application of the information.