We need to be honest here, being injured is horrible. It can be painful, limit your mobility and function, disrupt your sleep and slow the progress you are making either in the gym or on the sporting field. It can also have massive effects on your mental health.
Can being injured be a positive thing?
Well, actually there can be a positive in being injured. Reframing an injury in your mind from a completely negative thing into an opportunity can be a great way to positively impact your rehabilitation. You can use the time you are recovering from your injury to also work on the aspects of your training or body imbalances that you often ignore. We all have skills we should practice but don’t or weaknesses that we should address but don’t due to time constraints or that we are focusing on a different goal. In addressing these issues, alongside your injury rehabilitation you can come back a stronger and better athlete than you were before your injury. Even more beneficial, you will be less likely to re-injured yourself in the future.
How do I set this mindset?
Being injured and away from your activity or sport was not intentional, so when it happens it can be very upsetting and almost make you angry. This is normal but firstly you need to accept that you are injured and that you will have to take a temporary break from your normal exercise. This can be hard to do but without acceptance you will remain in a negative state which will affect your recovery, mood and your life outside your sport.
Once you have accepted this, it’s good to reflect on your injury and why it happened. If it was an acute injury from a fall or accident there may have been nothing you could have done to change it. However, if it was an overuse or over strain injury, think of the aspect of your training that led up to this. Make note of these and start a plan to address these issues.
This can be difficult to do by yourself therefore you may need to get guidance from your coach or a physiotherapist to help you identify the factors that lead to the injury and create a progressive loading exercise program to work on these areas.
It’s also a good opportunity to have an overview of your training schedule and content as we can often get stuck doing the same thing or overtraining and forget to take a step back and actually analyse what we are doing.
What about the injury?
Remember not to forget about the injury. The healing process is challenging, but also incredibly important. The majority of the time an injury is only temporary so give yourself the time to heal and reset. You will need a thoughtful plan for recovery which a physiotherapist can guide you through and gradually step you back into your exercise or sport to ensure you are ready.
So, being injured isn’t a completely bad thing. It is an opportunity. If you are not sure in how to address these imbalances or integrate a progressive program to work on your weakness, seek help from a physiotherapist. If you would like to book an appointment with one of our specialised physiotherapists, please do not hesitate to contact us.
