Writer : Lucia Farina
Injuries are common. Whether you are an athlete or a mum who never gets the time to work out, they can be a huge inconvenience. Whether it’s a sprain, strain, or something more serious, getting injured can be super testing, both physically and mentally. In this blog post, we will explore the mental aspect of healing an injury, how it affects our training, and how we can change our mindset to use our injury as a source of inspiration for new fitness ideas!
I've helped so many people through their injuries, coached them through what they share of their mental struggles in the process. We've gotten good results too. Coaching myself recently, has not quite been the same.
Getting injured can be a traumatic experience for many of us. It can leave us feeling frustrated, angry, and depressed. For me, I got injured in my mid twenties and I handled it way better than being injured recently as a mid 30 year old. So many factors can affect how we feel about our injuries and healing process, from our age to the limitations it gives us. If you love training whether it be for the physical or mental benefit, the prospect of being unable to train can be particularly difficult to manage. This is especially true if you have a goal in mind, such as competing in a race or reaching a specific fitness milestone or just because moving helps you avoid pain and helps you feel good in yourself.
When you get injured, it's essential to remember that your body needs 'time to heal'. I mean that's a no brainer but what does rest look like to different people? To some, depending what the injury is, it means DO NOTHING and that's ok if you're ok doing nothing but if you're not that way inclined, it's just not an option. Rushing back into training too soon can exacerbate your injury and delay your recovery but is it really about either continuing to train as normal and harm yourself physically, or no training at all which for some feels like mental harm? Surely not, there must be something mid way that can work.
Im dealing with some bulging discs in my back, that I left unattended for months. I thought it would just go away. I didn't know I had a disc issue until I got an MRI, so I carried on as normal, even if it hurt my back more. Looking back, that was not a smart decision, but I didn't have the mindset to stop, it literally was not an option. I come from a background of martial arts and acrobatics. There's no time to stop life for an injury. You just work around it. So I took that on, even though i'd never advise my clients that, which has been very interesting for me to observe. Although I do believe movement to be medicine and I still i stand by that statement. I continued training and pushed too far (even though I wasn't working out to 100% just those movements were not good for me then) and it forced a complete mind set shift. Not just on injuries but life generally and my care and respect towards my OWN body, as it's way easier to care for others, funnily enough. I realised my body is my boss. My mind helps me along, but the emotional, and physical links within us has never were more evident for me. On reflection, it seems as much as it's hard to admit, that I was struggling to accept what I was experiencing. I needed to embrace the injury and i didn't even know it. I basically didn't listen to my body even though I thought I was. It's really hard to admit that, while I care and work with human bodies daily and love them all so much, that I failed to show myself proper care. Was this injury trying to show me I really need a bit more proper self love? It's been a journey let me tell you!
I've learned that taking time to rest and focus while injured is not just about the physical healing, but that mental health and mindset is crucial to our overall well-being during this time as well. I've learned that injury doesn't mean the end of the world and you can absolutely still move while recovering but you need to be really tuned into listening to your body's non verbal communication when it's trying to speak to you. We aren't all so naturally good at that, which is why guidance from professionals is so important. It's literally like learning a new language.
There will always be a modification when it comes to training and exercise. For example, if you have a knee injury, you may need to avoid exercises that put stress on your knees, such as running or squatting. The back injury for me meant not doing many of the movements that I love and are supposedly very GOOD for your back to keep it mobile. I had to accept and embrace what I COULD do and not what i couldn't do. While looking at the lists of what IS open to me, it's a far longer list than what ISN'T available to me. I'm sure it's the same for many injuries and this gave me a new wave of life! Sometimes we can get so into our routine, it's THAT we struggle to break, not the changes or elimination of the exercises themselves. The exercise can continue but what we do within that time we set for exercise, may need to change slightly.
While it can be frustrating to have to change your training routine, it's essential to remember that it's temporary. It's temporary because after a while of being in a new routine and program, that then becomes your new norm. With proper treatment and care, most injuries will heal over time, and you'll be able to return to your regular training routine but maybe you won't be able to do what you used to and that's ok because what ever your goals are, the most important thin is that you move. Your body isn't as picky as your mind is, on what those movements are. You can ask yourself, what is more important, that I practice those specific exercises, or that I exercise generally?
Completely avoiding exercises that niggle our injury is first and foremost the N1 rule. But moving is valuable, so moving and loosing ego, forgetting our previous non injured body and moving while being honest with ourselves and pulling away from anything that causes even the smallest irritation is going to work wonders. Sounds soooo easy doesn't it? In fact, once shifting the mindset, it actually is. That mind set shift is the work, once you we get through that, everything seems easier. It's much easier said than done that's for sure.
It's natural to feel discouraged and frustrated when we get injured. I'd envy anyone (or be inspired by) anyone who wasn't. However, it's essential to focus on the positive aspects of the situation. Rather than viewing your injury as a setback, try to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Focusing on all the new ways you can train that perhaps you wouldn't have considered before. You may find you REALLY enjoy something that you didn't even like the sound of before. You may realise that you don't need to work to 100% effort every time to have a really thorough workout. That doesn't need to last just while you're recovering, that's a door now opened for the rest of your life! Surely that can only be a positive thing if you consider that variation is the spice of life!
Another way to help the mental side of being injured, is by focusing on other areas of your fitness routine that you may have neglected in the past. For example, if you're unable to run due to a foot injury, you may want to focus on strength training or yoga instead which in turn helps your running when you're able to get back to it. This can help you improve your overall fitness level and even prevent future injuries. It can allow you the time to go back and work on foundations again. Being a Pilates teacher with slipped discs is tough, the stripped back training would be to go to the basics, which is torture for the lower back, as it's all flexion work which is bad news for the bulges. Once the mindset shifted though, and I allowed myself to do what was good and not stick to structure, things got far more exciting. The dread has gone. In a strange way, my injury has ended up empowering me, not crippling me, although it did cripple my mind there for a moment.
Another way to use your injury to inspire a new way of training is by setting new goals for yourself. Instead of focusing on your previous goals, you could take this time to create new ones that are tailored to your injury. For example, if you have a shoulder injury, you may want to focus on improving your flexibility and mobility in that area. It could be unrelated to your injury, for example if your shoulder is healing you could do foot work or balance and stability which may usually bore you if you're at full capacity but being a possible option you may find a new appreciation for it. I mean, I hadn't done planks for so long, now i'm back doing them and realised how much I missed them and that I now want to do more of them and see so much value in them. I mean, why did I ever stop? And the BEST bit is, you find brand new exercises or come back to exercises you've done in the past or try things you've always wanted to but didn't want to break your routine for. When you find these exercises and they don't hurt your injury, it's quite natural to think then, could it be helping the recovery?! For myself I know stability is so vital for healing lower back disc issues, planks are most personal trainers go-to for spinal stability. So now I see that i'm in fact winning with this injury and not loosing much at all! I literally had to change my mindset. It's been beneficial for my life and my teaching journey not just my personal healing pathway.
In conclusion, Injuries can be frustrating and challenging to deal with, both mentally and physically. However, by changing your mindset and focusing on the positive aspects of the situation, you can use your injury as a source of inspiration for a new way of training. Remember to take the time to rest and care for your mental health during this time, and don't be afraid to seek professional help if needed. That's physical therapy and even possibly a coach who can help the mental side of the road to recovery. With the right mindset and approach, you can turn your injury into an opportunity for growth and self-improvement and that is powerful indeed.
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