15 Brilliant Hacks to Nurse Your Meniscus Tear Back to Health

7. Avoid High Impact Activities

One way to avoid a meniscus tear or promote continued healing after recovery is to avoid high impact activities. While high impact exercise is favored by some athletes for overall body strengthening, it's more likely to lead to injury in the legs and hips, especially if individuals aren't used to these activities. Some common high impact activities are contact sports, jumping jacks, running, jumping rope, some cardio dance routines, and step aerobics involving jumping or running. Those dealing with a meniscus tear can still continue exercising after the appropriate amount of time has passed by engaging in low impact activities like the elliptical machine, biking, swimming, rollerblading, hiking, and walking.

8. Warm Up And Rest Between Workouts

A common injury prevention tactic is to warm up and rest between workouts. A warm-up is a short exercise session for individuals to loosen their muscles before doing the bulk of their workout. During a warm-up, they'll typically stretch and do mild cardio activities. The cardio exercises help get an individual's blood flowing and increase circulation before the more intense workout. Stretching helps to relieve tension and 'knots' in the muscles. If an individual's muscles are too tense prior to a workout, they're more likely to tear or suffer other injuries. It's also important to rest between workouts. Between each set of exercises, individuals should take a minute or two to breathe and let their body relax. In addition, unless they're used to doing multiple hours of intense exercise each day, individuals should try to alternate the types of workouts they do each day so different muscle groups have a chance to rest.