From coach Tony Gehman’s blog on GymSmarts Community. That link is now defunct though you can still buy GymSmarts coaching videos.
… RETURNING TO THE GYM
Following an injury we all want the gymnasts to return to practice and be part of the group. It is good for their psychological state, it keeps the desire to return high. We can all think of an athlete who did not return from a relatively minor injury because of too much time off and they felt that the group moved on with out them.
I like to see the girls back at their normal practice schedule even if hours are reduced. Speaking to an athlete on their return is a crucial part of their rehab. What is the plan? Because of the nature of women’s gymnastics leg injuries are the most prevalent as well as the most limiting in the gym. If an athlete hurts her leg, This is an opportunity for them to really make improvements on bars. They can learn to be more subtle with their arm movements on dance. I have had a great deal of success with gymnasts practicing mental choreography for leg events that they can not do.
If she has injured her arm, there really is a lot they can do in the gym. Tramp will become their new best friend! There are literally thousands of drills and skills that kids can do on tramp for every event.
I like injured gymnasts to train about 50% of their normal hours. Come in each day at the normal start time, but leave early waving farewell to their teammates when they go.