Ride mountain bikes for long enough and you’re bound to run into a few injuries.
These happen to everyone, and most are relatively minor - cuts, bruises or sprains - easy to recover from with a little TLC and rest. Other injuries, however, can be more serious.
You’ll need time to recover from a more serious biking injury. While the exact recovery process will depend on your specific injury, and you should always follow medical advice, there are a few general strategies you can use to help your recovery.
Recover From A Biking Injury: 3 Practical Strategies
1. See A Physio
If your injury is more than anything minor, you could need a little extra help to get on the path to recovery. That’s where a sports physio comes in. They can help to speed up recovery and make sure everything’s going the way it should be.
While this could come at a cost, it’ll help make sure you recover from the injury and avoid longer-term issues. They could even help to get rid of any pain you’re experiencing.
2. Rest
Depending on your injury, you could need to do quite a few things to help with recovery. One of the more common recommendations is to rest. There’s a reason for this. Your body needs time to recover, and this is difficult to do if you’re constantly busy, moving around and trying to force your recovering body to maintain your everyday routine.
The more you rest, the more energy your body can dedicate to recovery. In the long run, slowing down will help to speed up the recovery process. Take the time to put your feet up and relax. The more you can rest, the better, and you’ll be back to training and on your bike before you know it.
3. Get Back To Biking
At a certain point, you’ll feel yourself getting healthier and healthier. You’ll finally get to the point where you can get back to biking. While you’ll be physically back to yourself, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be mentally ready, especially if the injury was caused by a bad accident.
Take your time when you return to mountain biking, especially if you have been forcibly off your bike for an extended period. Your confidence may have taken a knock, and that is perfectly understandable. Don’t force yourself to ride the gnarliest trail you can on your first outing. Ease in with something mellow and re-build your confidence.
Trying to recover from a biking injury can often be a lengthy process. It could take more time and effort than you expected. That doesn’t mean the end of mountain biking though.
While your recovery will depend on the specific injury you have, the general steps we’ve mentioned can also help. It’s worth taking the time to recover properly. You’ll be back to enjoying yourself before you know it.
Photo by Nathanaël Desmeules on Unsplash