“Limping to Glory: The Idiot’s Guide to Training While Injured (Without Making It Worse)”

Let’s be honest. If you train hard, you will, at some point, get injured. It’s not if, it’s when. In fact, the father of a much respected BJJ athlete once remarked, “If you’ve not got an injury before you compete, you probably haven’t worked hard enough!”

Whether it’s a twinge, a pull, a tear, a pop, or something that felt like you got shot by a sniper in the squat rack, injuries are part of the deal when you push your body.

And yet, despite the pain, the swelling, the limp that makes you look like a pirate with gout—you still want to train. Maybe it’s ego. Maybe it’s habit. Maybe you’ve just spent £120 on a rashguard and you are going to wear it, even if it’s only to shuffle from side control into oblivion.

But before you dive back into training with the mobility of a dead pigeon, let’s look at how you can stay active while injured without turning a minor setback into a starring role on “Embarrassing Bodies.”

First Rule of Training While Injured: Don’t Be an Idiot.

You know that voice in your head that says, “It’s probably fine, just walk it off”? That voice is trying to kill you. That voice is the reason you thought it was a good idea to deadlift your bodyweight the day after tweaking your back during a sneeze.

Pain is not weakness leaving the body. Pain is your body saying, “Stop it, you absolute muppet.”

So, the first and most important rule: get it checked out. And no, not by your mate Dazzer who once watched a YouTube video on back pain while hungover.

Go see a physiotherapist. Or a chiropractor, if that’s your jam. Or, at the very least, someone who can tell the difference between a torn ligament and trapped wind.

Early professional assessment saves time, pain, money, and embarrassment. It also means your training can be adjusted smartly, not just stubbornly.

From RICE to PEACE & LOVE: The Science Bit

Back in the dark ages (i.e. pre-2019), we were told to treat injuries with RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

Now, that’s been replaced with something more modern, nuanced, and suspiciously like a motivational poster: PEACE & LOVE.

It sounds like something you’d hear at Glastonbury, but it’s actually solid advice. Here’s what it means:

PEACE (for the immediate stage)

P – Protect: Avoid activities that increase pain in the first few days. Don’t be a hero.
E – Elevate: Raise the injured area to help reduce swelling.
A – Avoid anti-inflammatories: Say what now? Yep. Let inflammation do its job early on.
C – Compress: Use taping or bandages to support the joint and reduce swelling.
E – Educate: Learn what’s actually wrong. Don’t Google it. Ask a specialist.

Then comes the LOVE bit (the longer-term rehab phase):

L – Load: Start reintroducing movement and resistance—gently.
O – Optimism: Believe in your recovery. Seriously. Positive expectations do improve outcomes.
V – Vascularisation: Get the blood flowing with pain-free cardio.
E – Exercise: Rebuild strength, flexibility, and confidence progressively.

This approach is less about lying on the sofa with a frozen bag of peas, and more about moving intelligently with professional guidance. It’s about active recovery—not vegetative stagnation.

Cardio While Injured: Yes, You Can (Usually)

Unless your injury affects every limb and your ability to breathe (in which case please stop reading and call an ambulance), there’s probably some kind of cardio you can do.

Example 1: Lower Body Injury (e.g. dodgy ankle, dodgier knee)

Upper body ergometer (hand bike): Looks ridiculous, but it’s surprisingly effective.
Swimming (with a pull buoy): Take the legs out of it and just go full triceps.
Seated shadow boxing: Yes, it’s real. Yes, you will look mad. Yes, it works.

Example 2: Upper Body Injury (e.g. shoulder from hell)

Stationary bike: Stick on a podcast and pedal like you’re escaping awkward small talk.
Walking: Criminally underrated. Go outside. Breathe. Limp with purpose.
Hiking or incline treadmill: For the brave (or stubborn).

The key: don’t train through pain. Train around it. If your heart rate’s up and the pain’s not, you’re probably doing it right.

Resistance Training: Time to Get Creative (and Lopsided)

There’s nothing more humbling than trying to bench press a pink dumbbell with one arm while your other arm sits in a sling, sulking.

But guess what? Unilateral training (training one side of the body) can actually help maintain strength on the injured side, thanks to something called cross-education.

Example: Hurt Shoulder?

Do single-arm dumbbell presses, rows, curls, etc. with the uninjured arm.
Train lower body if pain-free: goblet squats, lunges, hip thrusts.

Example: Ruined Knee?

Focus on upper body pushing/pulling work.
Do isometric holds, seated resistance band exercises.
Practise your “angry gym face” in the mirror. That’s a muscle too, technically.

Resistance training while injured isn’t about progress—it’s about preservation. Stay consistent, train smart, and avoid putting your ego before your recovery.

BJJ: The Gentle Art (Until It Isn’t)

Ah, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The sport where “gentle” means “only partially dislocating your shoulder.”

BJJ athletes are perhaps the most notorious for ignoring injuries, usually opting for one of the following strategies:

Taping the injured area so thoroughly it looks like a Christmas ham.
Rolling with “just light flow, bro” before accidentally doing flying armbars.
Insisting they’re fine while visibly wincing after every grip.

But training BJJ while injured can be done—with caution, honesty, and a plan.

General Advice:

Talk to your coach. Tell them what’s wrong. If they’re worth training under, they’ll help you modify.
Choose your training partners wisely. Avoid the teenage white belt named Troy who thinks every roll is ADCC finals.
Limit intensity and range of motion. Play guard if your top game’s compromised. Work defence. Drill slowly. Watch and take notes.
Do positional sparring from safe spots. For example:
- Hurt arm? Play knee shield, guard retention, or focus on escapes.
- Hurt leg? Work seated guard, lapel grips, or do grip fighting standing.
Use downtime for mental reps. Watch instructionals. Visualise sequences. Analyse your game. You’d be surprised how much “invisible” progress you can make.

And remember: you’re not letting your team down by taking it easy. You’re leading by example.

Bonus Tip: Develop Other Muscles—Like Patience and Humility

Injuries are annoying. They’re inconvenient. They make you question your mortality every time you try to get out of a chair.

But they’re also a gift in disguise. No, seriously.

They force you to slow down, listen to your body, and become more intelligent in your training. They remind you that strength is more than muscle—it’s resilience, adaptability, and the ability to keep going without being reckless.

Here’s what you can do that doesn’t require physical intensity:

Work on mobility and flexibility around non-injured joints.
Practise breathwork or meditation (yes, it’s a bit woo-woo, but it works).
Improve sleep and nutrition—two underrated recovery superpowers.
Read, watch, and learn. Improve your theory while your body heals.
Be the training partner you’d want when you’re healthy: encourage others, support the room, offer to drill rather than spar.

When to Return to Full Training

Here’s a simple checklist:

Pain-free at rest?
No swelling, or only minor?
Full range of motion returned (or close to it)?
Strength at 80-90% of your baseline?
Specialist cleared you?

If the answer’s yes across the board, go back slowly. Not all in, not flat out. Ease back in like it’s a cold swimming pool.

Your first session back should leave you wanting more, not limping home like you’ve done three rounds with Khabib.

Final Word: Your Identity Is Not Your Injury

It’s easy to feel lost when you can’t train like usual. We tie a lot of our self-worth to how much we can lift, roll, run, or do.

But your value isn’t in your performance—it’s in your persistence.

Don’t train to prove you’re tough. Train to prove you’re smart.

Anyone can grind themselves into powder. It takes real strength to back off, adjust, and come back better.

So next time you tweak something, resist the urge to “just push through.” Instead, give yourself some PEACE & LOVE, find your workarounds, and stay consistent.

Because the goal isn’t to train while injured. The goal is to train forever—even if sometimes, you do it with a limp and a grin.