Can You Really Come Back Stronger After An Injury?
Bouncing Back Post-Injury Or Letting It Slow You Down?
In this blog, we will talk about what you can focus on when the injury has happened & how you can come back even stronger than ever.
If you are reading this, odds are you are a little bit of a Fitness Junkie. Meaning that training, moving your body and exercising has been your daily routine. Most likely it’s grown to be a part of YOU and where you get your outlet for stress, meet friends and maybe the happy hour of your day.
Maybe you have an injury and you are beating your self in the head, blaming yourself for not being careful enough. But truth is in the world of Fitness & CrossFit, it is inevitable to get minor or major injuries along the way, despite our best effort to stay safe and be smart. While its not ideal, it is normal for people who are pushing limits physically and mentally it is almost impossible not to get injured at some point.
And while getting injured is Probably, one’s worst nightmare. If not the most discouraging & frustrating thing that can happen to an athlete. It is important to stay cool through the process and not get carried away.
Its strange but most athletes that have dealt with injuries, would agree that no matter how annoying it was to be injured, they wouldn’t change anything.
Because when given the chance / brake in routine caused by their injuries led them to take time to work on themselves, both physically & mentally.
Some even say it may be the best thing that happened to them since it changed the way they viewed things and helped them see what they were missing, leading them to think of a better, more proper way in approaching their training & routine.
So, really, at the end of every day, it's up to us decide whether we’ll let our injury experience make us or break us. We get to choose whether our injury stops us from trying again or pushes us to recover & develop.
My Top 7 Tips on How to Come Back Stronger After An Injury
Lets dive straight in, the following is my top tips that i have seen work for both athletes and “normal” people when working as a physiotherapist.
Through the years, I have worked with people dealing with small and big injuries and benn a sparring partner through long and short injury journeys. The following things are key items that people who cope successfully with injuries are good at, while they may not be good at all of them all of the time, they have some elements of each of these incorporated in their life and use these strategies when they are having a “bad day”, week or a month.
These tips are aimed to help you cope with the situation, and broaden your mindset - they do not replace a licenced professional and should be done with the supervision and help of someone who understands the nature of your injury and rehab journey that lies ahead.
Routine is key.
Injuries require rehabilitation exercises with the help of either a sports doctor or a physiotherapist. This is quite helpful in avoiding to waste your time in scrolling through Instagram or watching Netflix.
Lose the ego.
Trying to perform routines before your body is ready is not smart. It’s more harmful than helpful! No matter how much ready & set your mind is in getting back on track, you have to give big consideration if your body, too, is ready. Lose your ego & assess if your body is really ready.
Celebrate the small wins.
This may be the most important yet sometimes, also the most neglected. After injury, athletes tend to be too hard on themselves, beating themselves up for not getting back right away. BUT. Those small steps & little milestones, they’re just as important. Every effort counts, no matter how small and they deserve to be celebrated. So, don’t forget! Celebrate your wins, big & small.
Ride the lows.
As much as you learn to celebrate your wins, learn to ride the lows as well. Why? Oftentimes, the best way to get rid of negative self-talk is no acknowledge that it is actually there. Revealing the feeling is the beginning of healing. So, acknowledge. Ride with the lows & go with the flow. You know what they say, you don’t just learn from the highs. You also learn from the lows.
Surround yourself with the right people.
Don’t know to emphasize this enough. But, THIS. IS. IMPORTANT. How you carry through on your journey of healing & bouncing back depend so much on the people, coaches & support network you surround yourself with. It’s so much easier having these people cheer you on & believe you can actually really bounce back after a painful injury. Let them in your journey!
Embrace other hobbies outside your sport.
Try to think of & engage yourself in a new hobby, activity or sport. Having something new to give time for helps you mentally & actually helps in regaining your confidence & positive outlook.
Trust the process.
Last but definitely, not the least. TRUST THE PROCESS. Coming back from an injury may take a long time and you may even experience a lot of setback, a lot of discouragement, a lot of failed attempt along the way, but don’t be disheartened. It’s okay to take time. It’s okay to sit back & just trust in the process. Every healing takes time & that’s okay. The most important thing is making sure you come back & much stronger than ever.
Hope this helps, and if you are in the middle of a rehab journey, and need a sparring partner in your team and a more HANDS ON guidance in how to implement these strategies - check out my Remote Coaching Option with rehabilitation programming, and in person or online 1:1 sessions for support and guidance.
So, let me end this blog with a line from a famous song.
What doesn’t kill you make you stronger.
Take heart & try again!
Trust Me, Nothing Lasts Forever and You can come back even stronger.
