Why Do Most Treatment Plans Include Strengthening Exercises?

Posted 29 Nov

Wondering why you’re always given strengthening exercises when you come in for a foot or leg injury? If you’ve seen us for problems like shin splints, Achilles pain, plantar fasciitis, knee injuries and the like, the chances that we’ve given you very specific exercises are very high. The reason? Because you’ve asked us to help you get better in the fastest, best, evidence-based way possible - and you also want to greatly reduce the likelihood of your pain recurring in the future. This is where strengthening exercises are key. 

Here’s a look into what strength training is, how it works to help optimise your recovery, and why you should stick closely to your recovery plan to help you get the best outcomes for your pain or injury.

What Is Strength Training? And Why Are The Exercises So Beneficial In My Recovery?

Strength training is the name given to any exercises that use resistance in any form (whether that’s from your own body weight or actual weights) to help build (and rebuild) your muscle and strength. Somewhere along the way, the term strength training became synonymous with going hard at the gym to grow mega strong, but it’s really not about that when it comes to your rehab. It’s just about bringing your body back to an ideal state to support your recovery, completion of daily tasks and goals, and help prevent future re-injury. Plus, it has a host of benefits:

• Boosts mental health: regular strength training can reduce symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, and depression. It also enhances self-esteem and cognitive abilities, particularly in older adults, contributing to overall mental well-being.
• Enhances cardiovascular health: strength training can improve heart health just as much as aerobic exercises like walking or jogging, lowering risks of heart disease and maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.
  
• Improves bone density - as we age, our bone mineral density naturally decreases, leading to a higher risk of fractures and osteoporosis. Strength training helps slow this decline and even improves bone strength, keeping bones healthy and robust.
  
• Reverses the effects of inactivity with age: strength training is shown to improve movement control, functional abilities, physical performance, and walking speed in older adults, even those living in rest homes. This helps maintain independence and mobility as we age.
  
• Supports healthy blood sugar levels: by improving insulin sensitivity, strength training can help prevent or manage type 2 diabetes, counteracting the decline in insulin efficiency often seen as we age.
  
• Helps reduce the risk of falls and injuries by supporting balance and strength
  
• Makes everyday tasks—like lifting, carrying groceries, or climbing stairs—easier and less tiring, contributing to a higher quality of life.
  
• Boosts resting metabolism: studies have shown that regular strength training can increase your resting metabolic rate by around 7%, helping your body burn more calories even when you're resting.
  
• Helps reduce the risks associated with excess body fat. Building muscle also enhances your body's ability to manage weight in the long term.
  

Why Do We Focus On Strength Training In Your Recovery?

When most people are injured, they’ll naturally rest more and protect the affected area to help avoid pain. The result is often prolonged downtime that can leave the muscles, tendons, and ligaments around the injury site weakened. Weak muscles mean muscle imbalances, with other muscles then having to work harder to try to compensate for the weakened ones.

If you try to jump back into your normal activities before addressing this imbalance and rebuilding strength, you might find that your body doesn't perform the way it used to. The weakened muscles may not support your movements properly, making them less effective and stable. This lack of proper muscle activation not only affects your performance but also puts you at a higher risk of re-injury. Strength training is crucial after an injury because it helps restore the strength, balance, and coordination around the injured area, allowing you to safely return to your usual activities with reduced risk of setbacks.

When put this way, it makes a lot of sense why we prescribe you the exercises, update them, and check in on how you’re getting on with them, right?

Tips For Strengthening Safely

If you’re reading this and haven’t been guided by your podiatrist about how to start exercising and strengthening safely, here are a few things you should know:

• We really do recommend seeing a podiatrist before starting to implement strengthening training as part of your injury rehab. Aside from giving you the ‘complete’ treatment plan that strengthening is typically just one part of, we’ll also properly assess your injury, identify muscle imbalances or weaknesses, create the right exercise plan that meets your needs and sets you up for success - and so much more. You don’t want to be in a situation where you’re doing rehab for an injury that you should be in a moon boot for (like if you have a partial tear in a ligament or tendon) because then it can quickly worsen. Booking in with a podiatrist is your first step to a successful, long lasting recovery.
  

• Avoid going too hard, too fast at all costs as this greatly increases your likelihood of the injury worsening. Start with low-intensity exercises that don’t strain the injured area or cause you pain. Focus on slow, controlled movements to avoid overloading weakened muscles. Gradually increase intensity over time.
  

• When you’re strengthening for rehab, quality is always more important than quantity. Use slow, controlled movements and maintain proper form to avoid placing unnecessary stress on the injury. If you’re unsure of the correct technique, seek guidance from a professional.
  

• Always warm up your muscles with gentle movements or stretches before exercising. Warming up increases blood flow to the muscles, helping to prevent further injury.
  

• Always listen to how your body feels during and after the exercises. If you experience sharp pain, swelling, or discomfort, stop immediately. That’s your body’s way of signaling that something is going wrong or it can’t handle the load. You may need to modify the activities you’re doing (your podiatrist will help with this) or your injury may have progressed to a worse state.
  

• As strength improves, slowly reintroduce your usual activities. Keep modifying the movements as needed, and don’t rush to resume your pre-injury level of intensity. ‘Success’ is being pain free for the long-term, it’s not rushing in the short term and then facing the consequences of discomfort or re-injury in the future.
  

I’m Injured But Haven’t Seen A Podiatrist. Can I Just Start Doing Strength Exercises?

Not if you want to do it safely and optimally. Our assessments are incredibly comprehensive, diving not only into your diagnosis but understanding why your injury and symptoms have occurred in the first place. It’s only by knowing that can we understand how to set you up for success (of staying healthy, happy, active and pain-free) for the long-term.

It’s also important to carefully identify and examine your muscle strength and function, the range of motion available in your joints, complete gait assessment to understand the effects of the injury on your kinetic chain, and many other factors that influence which exercises will be best for you.

Best Podiatry Team For Injury Recovery In Brisbane

If you’re battling an injury affecting your feet, ankles, legs or knees, our experienced podiatry team are here to help. We work extensively in sports medicine, with many of our podiatrists being elite-level athletes themselves, giving us an innate understanding of the importance of a speedy, efficient and optimal recovery. We have two clinics available across Brisbane CBD and Newmarket, and you can book an appointment by calling us on (07) 3356 3579 or booking online here.