Injured??

Working Out While Injured at CrossFit Viroqua: Scaling, Modifications, and the Power of Consistency

Injuries can be frustrating, but they don’t have to sideline your fitness journey. At CrossFit Viroqua, we believe in training smart, not just training hard. Staying active while recovering from an injury is not only possible—it’s beneficial. With the right modifications and mindset, you can continue making progress without aggravating your injury.

Why Keep Moving While Injured?

When you get injured, your first instinct might be to take time off entirely. While rest is sometimes necessary, total inactivity can lead to deconditioning, loss of strength, and even longer recovery times. Staying active with proper modifications allows you to maintain your fitness level, keep circulation high for healing, and prevent the mental setbacks that come with stopping altogether.

A common fear is that working out with an injury means you won’t get a good workout. However, by shifting your focus to what you can do instead of what you can’t, you might be surprised at how much progress you continue to make. In fact, sometimes being forced to slow down and refine movements can lead to long-term improvements in technique and efficiency.

Modifications and Scaling at CrossFit Viroqua

At CrossFit Viroqua, we pride ourselves on meeting every athlete where they are—whether they’re new, experienced, injured, or working through a mobility limitation. Here’s how we approach modifications and scaling for injured athletes:

1. Adjusting the Range of Motion

Many injuries prevent full movement in a joint or limb, but that doesn’t mean you can’t train. For example:

• If you have a shoulder injury, you may modify an overhead press to a landmine press or focus on single-arm work with your non-injured side.
• If you have knee pain, squats can be adjusted to a box squat or reduced depth to maintain strength without aggravation.

2. Reducing Impact

‍High-impact movements like box jumps, running, or double-unders can be swapped out for lower-impact alternatives:

• Instead of running, try rowing or biking.
• Instead of box jumps, step-ups are a great option.
• Instead of double-unders, we can modify to single-unders or calf raises.

3. Focusing on Unilateral Training

‍A hidden benefit of working around an injury is the potential to improve unilateral strength. Studies have shown that training one side of the body can have positive crossover effects to the injured side. This concept is similar to an experience I had in college in my motor learning class. We had to juggle two tennis balls for five minutes a day using our dominant hand for seven days straight. We tracked our attempts and our best streaks, and everyone showed improvement. On day eight, our professor had us switch to our non-dominant hand. We all assumed it would be just as difficult as when we started with our dominant hand. However, we were amazed at how well we performed right away. Our brains had learned the pattern so well that the skill transferred much more easily than we expected. This is the same concept in fitness. If you injure one side, continuing to train the healthy side will still create neurological and muscular benefits for the injured limb. Your brain and nervous system adapt, leading to better movement and control when you return to full capacity.

‍4. Emphasizing Core and Stability Work

‍Many injuries allow athletes to shift their focus to core strength and stability, which can improve overall performance when fully recovered. Planks, dead bugs, and controlled rotational movements can all be great options to maintain strength and movement quality.

‍5. Perfecting Technique and Mobility

‍An injury can be a blessing in disguise, giving you the opportunity to slow down and focus on mechanics. If a lower-body injury limits lifting, it may be the perfect time to refine gymnastics skills, work on shoulder mobility, or improve kettlebell technique.

‍The Mental Game: Overcoming Frustration and Staying Consistent

‍Staying consistent while injured is just as much a mental challenge as a physical one. It’s easy to feel discouraged when you can’t train the way you’re used to. However, shifting your mindset to focus on what you can do will keep you progressing. Remember, fitness is a lifelong journey, and progress isn't always linear. Some of the strongest athletes in our gym have been through injuries, and they’ve come back even better because they stayed engaged and consistent. The brain learns movement patterns, and when you return to full activity, your body will be primed to pick up right where you left off—or even ahead of where you were.

‍Final Thoughts: Keep Showing Up

‍If you're dealing with an injury, talk to your coach at CrossFit Viroqua. We are here to help you modify and scale workouts in a way that allows you to keep training safely. Just like in my motor learning class, the effort you put in—regardless of what it looks like—translates into future success. Your fitness journey doesn’t have to stop; it just has to adjust. Keep moving, keep learning, and trust that the work you put in today will pay off in the long run!