6 common mistakes to avoid with injuries

When you're moving your body in new ways or trying out different activities like lifting weights, it's common to get aches, pains, and even injuries.

And when this happens, it can be hard to know what to do. Do you stop moving altogether? Do you take a rest day? Should you seek help from an expert? Is it normal for your body to be aching in the way it is?

Of course, every injury is unique to an individual, so if you're in pain and unsure what to do, it's always good to get professional help. But as a general guide, we asked two physiotherapists about some of the most common injuries they see related to sport, movement, and exercise – and some of the best ways to avoid making them worse.

1. Going from zero to 100

The general theme of injuries that Matt Harrison, an NHS first contact physiotherapist and spokesperson for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), will usually see is people who are inspired by something (i.e. the Olympics!) and then "doing too much, too quickly."

This can cause irritation to tendons, he says, where even though your body might adapt, your tendons will take longer to get used to that activity. Take things slow. Build it up gradually. Let your body adapt to this new way of movement.

Running is a common activity that causes injuries in this way, he says. It's high-level, but easy to do, and most commonly, knees will flare up, or people will get twisted ankles.

2. Not knowing whether to rest or see someone professional

If you exercise and then get a niggling pain, it can be helpful to know if that soreness simply needs a bit of rest – or whether it's something more serious.

General soreness after an exercise event is quite common – and might even be DOMs. "Typically, when something hurts, I'd give it a couple of days (24-48 hours) before exercising more, and it should gradually start to settle down," says Matt. "If after 24-48 hours it is still problematic or gets worse, that's a good indicator you might want to seek help."

Another important sign is when you're unable to put weight on something or are in a lot of pain. In this instance, it's worth seeing someone within that 24 hours, suggests Matt. First port of call would be to go to your GP – these days, there are often physiotherapists working in GP practices who specialise in muscular injuries.

3. Not knowing the RICE technique

A great home remedy acronym to remember for pain or injury is RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. So: avoid using your injured area, apply ice, wrap the area to reduce swelling and provide support, and keep the area raised above your head to drain fluid away from the injury.

Matt suggests putting ice on your injury for around 10-15 minutes, but making sure to put something between the cold product and your skin to avoid ice burns.

Typically, for something like a sprained ankle or a pulled muscle, ice or cold is normally better, however, "if it's a longer-term pain, like back pain, typically warmth – such as a warm shower, bath, hot water bottle – is better for the injury."

4. Not moving at all

"Generally, movement is the key," says Matt. Obviously this depends on seriousness, he says. "Perhaps you've gone on a long run, and you wake up feeling stiff or sore. Gentle movement would be key here, and generally, it'll make you feel better."

"If you're really worried about the injury, give it 24 hours and rest it," says Matt. "But typically, even little movements like gentle stretching and walking will be good."

Even with bone injuries like a fractured wrist, for example, it could be helpful to wriggle your fingers to start increasing the blood supply, suggests advanced physiotherapist and CSP spokesperson Sam Bhide. "Do whatever you can, within limitations. You will have good days and bad days, so do what your body can offer."

Sam says some people are so afraid to move that they don't do anything and cause more problems. For example with back pain, which she says is quite common, the less you move the more stiffness you'll feel. "Getting movement, no matter how, within your pain management, is important," she says.

5. Coming back too quickly after injury

Some people will be so keen to get back into exercise after an injury that they'll rest less – this isn't appropriate for a healing process, says Sam. With soft tissue injuries, it might take as long as 16-18 weeks to show improvement. With back pain, it could be 4-6 weeks before it starts to show signs. Recovery can often be slower than people think.

When people go to a physiotherapist after injury, their main goal is to get a graded return back to activity, says Matt. With any pain or injury, the key is to start off slowly and build it up.

For runners, they might walk, build up their pace, start with slow running, then jogging, and build it up from there. "You might run for 10 minutes and walk for 20," he says, "or you might opt to do shorter workouts in a controlled environment and tailor it as you need to."

"Do as much as you feel you're able and listen to your body. You can tell you're pushing yourself too hard if you get pain, any sort of swelling, heat or redness. You can also tell if it doesn't settle after a night's sleep."

6. Beating themselves up

"It's important to remember that when recovering from injury, very few people get it right all of the time," says Matt. "If you do something and it's too much – that's okay, give it a rest and reflect on what you've done, then learn from your mistakes."

The message Sam says she often wants to get out is that there's not just one thing you can do to support yourself after injury – you can try different things, and combine those with movement and exercise.

This article was written by The Body Coach content team.