Being injured is probably one of the most frustrating things in an athlete's life. Even for general exercise enthusiasts becoming sidelined is not a lot of fun since it can throw their motivation off track and make it harder for them to get back into things again. The old saying, 'a body in motion stays in motion' holds very true in this case. Once you have gotten over the initial hurdle of making exercise a daily part of your routine, taking a break and letting this habit slip for a while can prove to be quite problematic.

The best way to stop injuries is to of course, prevent them. This is done through proper warm-up sessions, stretching as well as a smart training program. You always need to ensure you are using correct form or the chances that you do risk becoming injured are really quite large. You won't get results by doing more training either; a much better way to get results is to just train smartly in the first place. Too frequent gym sessions will lead you on the road to injury just as quickly as improper form will. Keep in mind that your body does need time after each workout to repair yourself and if you don't give it this time, each gym session is just further breaking down your tissue.

But what happens if you do everything right but still get injured? Then you need to treat yourself as quickly as possible so the injury does not progress. Taking an all around approach to treatment is your safest bet since then you have all the bases covered. This would include proper rest, the application of ice or heat, stretching of the muscle/tendons that are injured, potentially doing some rehabilitation exercise and lastly, nutrition. Believe it or not you can actually speed your recovery process by eating certain foods.

Here is what you need to know.

Eat Enough Calories

So many people after becoming injured will have the temptation to really skimp out on their total calorie intake. They think that because they are not exercising any more if they don't drastically reduce their food intake they will end up gaining a fair amount of weight. While it's definitely true that if you were highly active you will want to cut back slightly, if you cut them back too much you will only prolong the recovery period. It is really essential that you provide your body with enough fuel to not only support its basic maintenance needs but then also support the process of healing. A classic symptom of frequent dieters who are taking in a very low calorie diet is reoccurring injuries and this is why. The body consumes a lot of energy to heal itself and without that energy available, full recuperation simply does not happen.

Eat More Vitamin C Rich Foods

Your body requires a certain amount of vitamin C on a daily basis in order to maintain proper functioning. This nutrient is responsible for things such as the repair of collagen and the making of new protein for the skin, scar tissues, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. It is also important to promote the healthy maintenance of cartilage, bones as well as teeth.

Vitamin C is also a powerful anti-oxidant and will play a role in the blocking of the damage due to free radicals in the body. Without this protection, these free radicals can end up contributing to conditions such as cancer, heart disease and inflammatory conditions like arthritis.

Because this vitamin is so important for the repair of the connective and cartilage tissue, it is helpful to enrich your diet with it when injured. Aim to include at least five sources of foods that are high in vitamin C such as red peppers, papaya, cantaloupe, oranges and broccoli.

Enough Water

Lastly, you want to make sure that you are taking in enough water. This may seem like an odd thing in terms of recovery but because the body is so affected by dehydration, even a slight degree of it can slow down the metabolism and cause a delay in recovery. There is no excuse not to stay well hydrated as the benefits are really endless. Not only will you feel better, you will think clearly and will have better concentration levels. Since when you are injured you may have a tendency to feel slightly depressed, this improved mental functioning can really be helpful.

So make sure next time you find yourself sidelined with an injury you take these factors into consideration. Including them as a regular part of your diet everyday is also a good idea as it will help prevent injuries from occurring in the first place. As stated above, prevention is always the preferred method and should be used whenever possible. The less time you need to take away from your workouts, the more the good habits you do have will be instilled and pretty soon exercising will become second nature.