Episode 29Jan 16, 2026· 6:33

Should You Work Out Injured? 4 Modifications Backed by Yale & Johns Hopkins

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About this episode

This episode covers how to continue exercising during injury recovery using four evidence-referenced modifications: reducing load, limiting range of motion, adjusting tempo, and substituting exercises that train the same muscle groups without aggravating the injury. Ashley Grant references Yale Medicine's load management framework, Johns Hopkins on movement supporting healing, Cleveland Clinic's RICE protocol for…

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Who this episode is for

This episode may resonate with you if:

You have a minor injury — a sprain, strain, or bruised something — and you're trying to figure out whether to push through your usual workout, rest completely, or find a middle path.

You work with a personal trainer or fitness instructor and you're not sure how to communicate an injury to them or what to ask for in terms of modifications.

You're a fitness instructor or trainer and a client just told you they have an injury — you want concrete substitution examples to keep them moving safely.

You've been told to 'just rest' after an injury but you're skeptical — you want to know whether that's actually the right call or outdated advice.

You're in the 48–72 hour window after an acute injury and you're trying to understand exactly when it's appropriate to start moving again versus when to see a doctor.

What you’ll learn

Use 'load management' instead of total rest for most injuries

Follow RICE for the first 48-72 hours, then reintroduce gentle movement

Reduce load, limit range of motion, slow your tempo, or swap the exercise — pick what fits your injury

Tell your instructor or trainer about the injury so they can modify in real time

Questions this episode helps answer

Should I keep working out if I have an injury?

answered

Ashley's answer is to modify rather than stop — she shares that when she bruised her tailbone she "modified, modified, modified," and cites Yale Medicine and Johns Hopkins to back up that total rest is outdated and that movement actually supports healing.

"the complete answer to dealing with an injury. According to Yale Medicine, the old school recommendation to avoid all activity has actually evolved. Today's approach is called load management, and it focuses on protecting the injured area, but still incorporating"

How do I modify my workouts when I'm injured?

answered

Ashley walks through four modifications: lower the weight, limit your range of motion, slow down your tempo, and swap exercises for ones that train the same muscle groups without aggravating the injury.

"for training around your injury. The first is"

What exercises can I do instead of squats when my knee hurts?

answered

Ashley suggests swapping back squats for split squats, lunges, or step ups — they train the same muscle groups and movement patterns without aggravating the injury.

"So if you can't do back squats, try split squats or lunges or step ups. They train the same muscle groups and movement patterns, but you're not aggravating your injury as much. Or if you can't"

What should I do right after spraining my ankle?

answered

Ashley references the Cleveland Clinic's RICE method — rest, ice, compression, and elevation — for the first 48 to 72 hours after an acute injury like a sprain or strain.

"doing all the other movements. For acute injuries such as like a sprain or a strain, Cleveland Clinic, they actually still recommend the RICE method for the first 48 to 72 hours. RICE being rest, ice, compression, and elevation. But here's"

When is it safe to start moving again after an acute injury?

answered

Ashley says that after the first 48–72 hours, gentle movement becomes your friend, and that if pain and swelling haven't improved in five to seven days, that's when you'd want to see a doctor.

"is after those first few days, gentle movement. actually becomes your friend. WebMD notes that if pain and swelling haven't improved in five to seven days, then you might need to see a doctor. But if you just have a sprain or a strain after 48 to 72 hours, you might actually want to start reincorporating movement back into your body."

Setting expectations: Despite the title namedropping Yale and Johns Hopkins, this episode is not a clinical or research-heavy breakdown of sports medicine — it's a short, conversational episode where Ashley shares what she personally did when she bruised her tailbone and layers in a few referenced tips about modifying workouts rather than stopping entirely.

Tone & style

Ashley opens with the old instinct to rest completely when injured, then uses her bruised tailbone as the entry point — she kept moving by modifying everything. Research from Yale Medicine and Johns Hopkins shifts the frame: total rest is outdated, load management supports healing. The episode resolves with four specific modifications and the reframe that modifying is smart training, not weakness.

Researched claims drawn from named medical sources (Yale Medicine, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, Harvard Health), combined with Ashley's personal experience modifying around her own injury. Not a substitute for professional medical advice.

tonePractical & encouraging

focusAshley answers a listener question about working out while injured by sharing her own tailbone injury experience and walking through four concrete modifications backed by sources like Yale Medicine and Johns Hopkins.

stylesolo_monologue

energymedium

complexitybeginner

pressure Levellow

emotional Textureencouraging, practical, lightly personal

Notable quotes

"my tailbone. And y 'all, let me tell you what, that was the most painful situation. And basically the big thing that I did the entire time that I had that injury is I modified, modified, modified."

— Famous Ashley Grant

"it's not weakness. It just is getting you to still work out without hurting yourself further."

— Famous Ashley Grant

"your muscle function. The key is to train around your injury, not through it. So modification,"

— Famous Ashley Grant

Episode transcript

Organized into 4 chapters — open any part to read the full text.

0:101. The Question and Ashley's Bruised TailboneAshley introduces the episode around a listener question about working out while injured, sharing her own experience bruising her tailbone and how she kept moving by modifying everything.1:202. Busting the 'Just Rest' MythAshley references Yale Medicine and Johns Hopkins to argue that total rest is outdated advice, explaining the 'load management' approach and the RICE method for the first 48-72 hours of acute injuries.2:373. Four Modifications for Training Around an InjuryAshley walks through four concrete modifications — reducing load, limiting range of motion, slowing tempo, and swapping exercises — with specific examples like dropping from 15lb to 10lb weights or replacing back squats with split squats.6:004. The Bottom Line and Closing EncouragementAshley wraps up by reframing modification as smart training rather than weakness, encouraging listeners to consult an instructor or physical therapist and stay active during recovery.

Open full transcript

Mentioned in this episode

organizationYale Medicine

Cited by Ashley as the source for the evolved 'load management' approach to injury recovery, replacing the old recommendation to avoid all activity.

organizationJohns Hopkins Medicine

Referenced by Ashley to support the claim that exercise helps the healing process as long as the injured area is protected.

organizationCleveland Clinic

Cited by Ashley as still recommending the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for the first 48 to 72 hours of acute injuries like sprains or strains.

organizationHarvard Health

Referenced by Ashley as the source for the idea that gentle movement becomes beneficial after the first few days of an acute injury.

websiteWebMD

Cited by Ashley as noting that if pain and swelling haven't improved in five to seven days, you should see a doctor.

Key themes

Modifying instead of stopping

Ashley's core answer to working out while injured is to modify everything, drawn from her own experience bruising her tailbone and keeping moving throughout.

Rest isn't always the answer

Ashley challenges the old-school 'just rest' advice by citing Yale Medicine's shift toward 'load management,' which protects the injured area while keeping the rest of the body moving.

Training around the injury, not through it

Ashley repeatedly frames the goal as protecting the injured area while continuing to train everything else, using the example of a shoulder injury not meaning your legs need a vacation.

Reducing load when hurt

Ashley describes dropping her own weights from eights and fifteens down to fives and tens when she felt at risk of injury, framing it as still getting the reps in without working as hard.

Limiting range of motion

Ashley references physical therapy research showing pain occurs at end ranges of movement, suggesting modifications like box squats to three-quarter depth instead of full squats.

Slowing down tempo

Ashley recommends slowing explosive movements to reduce force on injured tissues, noting that rehabilitation specialists say this also improves form and muscle memory.

Swapping exercises for the same muscle groups

Ashley emphasizes understanding what you're training, not just the exercise itself, giving examples like replacing back squats with split squats or lunges to hit the same muscles without aggravating the injury.

Acute injury protocol — RICE for the first 48-72 hours

Ashley notes that for sprains and strains, Cleveland Clinic still recommends rest, ice, compression, and elevation for the first 48 to 72 hours before gentle movement becomes appropriate.

Modification as smart training, not weakness

Ashley closes by reframing modification as intelligence rather than giving up, arguing it keeps you working out without causing further harm.

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