Mobility and Accessory Work, Optional or Mandatory? - Move Smarter!

Injuries suck! There’s no sugarcoating it. One day you’re crushing PRs, the next you’re googling, “How long does it take to recover from a shoulder injury by the CrossFit open in two months?” But here’s the thing—recovering from an injury doesn’t mean pressing pause on your fitness journey. In fact, the right mix of mobility work, strength training, and accessory exercises can help you heal faster, prevent future setbacks, and get back to doing what you love (even if that love-hate relationship includes burpees).

Mobility: Because Stiff Joints Are Not a Personality Trait

Mobility isn’t just about touching your toes or pretending to enjoy yoga. It’s your joints’ ability to move freely through their full range of motion without restriction or pain. And when you’re injured, this becomes even more critical. If you ignore mobility work, your body will compensate in weird and wonderful (but mostly terrible) ways. Before you know it, your "bad knee" has turned into a "bad knee, tight hip, and grumpy lower back" situation. Research supports this—limited joint range of motion is associated with an increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries (Behm et al., 2021). In fact, studies show that incorporating flexibility and mobility exercises into rehabilitation programs can significantly enhance recovery and reduce pain (Thomas et al., 2019).

Strength Training: The Comeback Kid’s Best Friend

Let’s get one thing straight: injuries do not mean you’re doomed to become a fragile, bubble-wrapped version of yourself. Strength training is one of the best things you can do during recovery. When you get injured, the surrounding muscles weaken faster than your resolve to avoid leg day. Strengthening them ensures stability and reduces the risk of re-injury. For example, after an ACL injury, if you’re skipping leg work, your knee will remain as stable as a wobbly Jenga tower. Studies have shown that resistance training helps restore neuromuscular function and reduces the likelihood of re-injury in post-surgical patients (Gokeler et al., 2018). Another study found that progressive strength training not only improves mobility but also decreases pain levels in individuals recovering from ACL reconstruction (Nyland et al., 2020). Translation: lift weights (smartly), recover faster.

My ACL Saga: A Painful Lesson in Patience

In 2019, I ruptured my ACL in a Muay Thai class (apparently, my knee didn’t sign up for the fight). Terrified of surgery, I took the “wait till it feels better” approach, convinced that my body would magically heal itself. Spoiler: It did not. By 2022, the pain was so bad I couldn’t even do a burpee—not that I wanted to, but still. I finally caved and got surgery. What followed was a humbling journey through limited mobility, muscle atrophy, and enough eccentric exercises to make my quads question all my life choices. But through consistent mobility work and strength training, I regained function and was back in CrossFit six months later, moving with more control than ever before.

Train Smart, Recover Strong

Mobility and strength training aren’t just about rebuilding muscle; they rebuild trust in your body. Injury recovery isn’t about gritting your teeth and “pushing through.” It’s about working smarter, strengthening weaknesses, and giving your body what it needs to move safely and efficiently. So, whether you're bouncing back from surgery, a sprain, or just trying to prevent future injuries—do your mobility work, hit those accessory exercises, and trust the process. And for the love of all things functional fitness, don’t skip your rehab work. Your future self will thank you. 💓

References:

• Behm, D. G., Chaouachi, A., Lau, P. W. C., & Wong, D. P. (2021). Acute effects of static stretching on muscle strength and power: An analysis of current literature. Sports Medicine.

• Thomas, E., Bianco, A., Paoli, A., & Palma, A. (2019). The relation between stretching typology and stretching duration: The effects on range of motion. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

• Gokeler, A., Dingenen, B., Hewett, T. E., & Seil, R. (2018). Rehabilitation and return to sport strategies after ACL injury: Evolving treatment paradigms. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy.

• Nyland, J., Mattocks, A., Kibbe, S., & Roberts, C. S. (2020). Rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction: A return-to-sport continuum. Journal of Orthopaedic Research.