If you were worried that Rafael Nadal's knee injury would have him out of action forever more, worry no longer, as he's just proven his fitness by winning the Barcelona Open for the eighth time yesterday. You can follow his example if you have a similar injury by taking to the swimming pool!
Rafael Nadal’s Barcelona Open victory on Sunday comes ahead of next month's French Open.
And many are seeing this as a promising sign that Nadal is getting back to full strength from a knee injury that sidelined him since last summer, says
TheLATimes.
How did he get back on track?
That’s proof that you shouldn’t steer clear of all exercise if you have a knee injury.
Knee pain? Don’t forget to stretch and strengthen the muscles surrounding it!
In fact, many causes of knee
pain can be helped with a combination of swimming and specific stretching and strengthening exercises, says
About.Orthopedics.
That’s because strengthening the muscles surrounding the knee leads to fewer problems with the joint.
And a new study has found that exercise can soothe sore muscles just as well as massage does, says
FSP Health.
The best part?
If you stick at it for just three weeks, fitness will soon become a habit, adds
FSP Health.
Here’s why swimming’s a great way to regain fitness after an injury…
Since your entire body weight is supported, there is minimal
stress to your joints as you work all of your major muscle groups, says
LiveStrong.
This engages them gently without adding weight or tension that could worsen your pain.
Then, as you move and stretch these muscles in the water, blood flows to them, which allows them to heal.
Pack away your ‘it’s cold outside’ excuses and get swimming today!
You won’t even notice half an hour of swimming if you challenge yourself to try a different swimming style every few laps – and once you’re active in the water, it’s warmer than the cool outside air, so force yourself to jump in.
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Knee injury? Follow Rafael Nadal into the pool to get your fitness plan back on track!
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