Bodyweight Exercises for Injury Recovery: 8 Effective Moves to Get You Back on Track

If you’ve suffered a sports injury or are recovering from nagging pain, you may worry that you’ll lose your hard-earned progress — but bodyweight exercises for injury recovery can help you stay strong and rebuild safely.

But you don’t have to.

By integrating bodyweight exercises for injury recovery into your routine, you can stay active, support the body’s healing process, and build resilience to prevent future injuries.

According to Kyla Gagnon, a certified personal trainer and Professional Bikini Model, bodyweight training is an effective, low-impact way to maintain fitness during rehabilitation and beyond. It helps you stay strong without putting excess strain on the injured area — an important principle of physical therapy.

8 Good Bodyweight Exercises

Here are eight highly effective bodyweight exercises for injury recovery, as recommended by Kyla Gagnon.

I’ve included step-by-step instructions and images so you can get started confidently.

1. Air Squats

How to perform:

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip width apart.
• After that, place your hands at your hips.
• Bend your knees and then lower your hips down as if sitting on an invisible chair.
• Keep your chest lifted and knees tracking over your toes (don’t let them collapse inward).
• Return to the starting position.

 Benefits: Improves lower-body strength, mobility, and balance while being easy on the knees.

2. Lunges

How to perform:

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip width apart.
• After that, step forward with your right leg, lowering your back left knee toward the floor.
• Push back to the starting position.

Benefits: Enhances leg and core strength, supports rehabilitation of hip and knee joints ^[2].

3. Split Squats

How to perform:

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip width apart.
• Step forward with your left leg, lowering your back right knee toward the floor.
• After that, place your hands on your bent knee to keep your torso upright.
• Return to the starting position, then switch sides.

Benefits: Focuses on single-leg stability and then improves functional movement patterns.

4. Single-Leg Squats

How to perform:

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip width apart.
• After that, place all your weight into one leg and then extend your arms forward at shoulder level.
• Slowly bend your knees,and then lower your hips down, maintaining balance.
• After that, press through the standing foot to rise back up.

 Benefits: Challenges balance, activates stabilizing muscles, and then aids in injury prevention.

5. Sumo Squats

How to perform:

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet wider than hip-width, toes pointing out.
• Lower down with knees tracking over toes as you reach your hands to the floor.
• After that, push through heels to return.

Benefits: Engages the inner thigh and glute muscles, supports hip flexibility and then joint strength.

6. Step-Ups

How to perform:

• After that, use a sturdy box or step.
• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip width apart.
• After that, place one foot on the step, push through your foot to lift the body up.
• Step back down and then switch legs.

Benefits: Mimics real-life movements, supports knee and ankle strength, improves functional stability.

7. Push-Ups & Pull-Ups

How to perform:

• Push-Ups: Begin in plank position, lower chest to floor, then press back up.

• Pull-Ups: Use a bar, grip shoulder-width apart, pull your chest toward the bar.

Benefits: Builds upper-body strength, supports shoulder joint health, and can be scaled to your fitness level.

8. Dips

How to perform:

• Basically, sit on the edge of a bench or step.
• After that, place hands next to hips, fingers forward.
• Slide off the edge and then bend elbows to lower body, then press back up.

 Benefits: Strengthens triceps and shoulders, keeps upper body active during lower-body injury recovery.

Why Bodyweight Exercises Work for Injury Recovery

Traditional weightlifting can overload injured tissues, delaying your recovery journey.

Bodyweight exercises, on the other hand, use only your own weight as resistance, reducing stress on damaged joints, tendons, or muscles.

They also enhance joint mobility ^[1], improve balance, and build strength in the stabilizing muscle groups, all of which are crucial for injury prevention and improved flexibility.

Many physical therapists specialize in using bodyweight-based movements for safe rehabilitation, because they allow for gradual progression and then protect vulnerable areas like the knee joint, ankle, or hips.

Important Tips Before You Start

• Always check with a qualified physical therapist before starting any rehab program, especially if pain persists.
• Pay attention to proper form: feet flat, knees bent, and feet hip-width apart are common starting positions for many movements.
• Gradually increase intensity over several weeks or months to support long-term healing.
• Respect your rest days to allow tissues to recover.

Pro Tips for Success

• Warm up with motion exercises like stationary cycling ^[3] to boost circulation.
• Listen to your body; if you feel pain, stop and then consult a professional.
• Integrate stretching to maintain joint mobility.
• Always focus on slow, controlled movements and avoid fast, jerky motions to reduce risk of re-injury.
• Progress carefully, adding new movements only when you feel stable and strong.

Staying Active: The Mindset Shift

Injury doesn’t have to mean giving up on your fitness routine.

With the guidance of a physical therapist, bodyweight exercises provide a safe, adaptable way to keep moving, maintain strength, and support your well-being.

By following these exercises and respecting your recovery time, you’ll help your body heal while preventing future injuries.

Consistency, patience, and proper technique will set you on the best path toward regaining strength, stability, and then confidence.

Jump into Bodyweight Workouts 101 and discover simple, effective moves you can do anytime, anywhere. No equipment needed — just your body and your drive to get stronger. Start today and transform your fitness from the ground up!

Frequenty Asked Questions

 Can I do bodyweight exercises if I’m still experiencing pain?

You should never push through sharp or intense pain during bodyweight exercises for injury recovery. Always consult a physical therapist if pain persists or worsens. Mild discomfort is normal with healing, but anything beyond that may need professional evaluation.

How soon after an injury can I start these exercises?

That depends on the severity and type of your injury. Many physical therapists specialize in progressive, low-impact movements you can do as early as a few days after injury, but others require a period of rest. Listen to your body and follow medical guidance to support the body’s healing process.

Are bodyweight exercises enough to regain full strength?

Absolutely. Bodyweight training is highly effective for rebuilding strength, improving joint mobility, and maintaining muscle groups. Over time, you can gradually increase the difficulty as your recovery progresses to match your fitness level.