by Luke Kavallares, Sports Therapist
Here at PhysioEdge we understand that injuries can be a right pain in the backside (or shoulder/knee/back etc.).
We won’t lie to you, it’s not easy being injured.
Besides from the physical pain and discomfort, one of the biggest problems faced is being able to stay motivated during your road to recovery.
It can be frustrating and it will be tough but YOU CAN DO IT!
We’re here to give a few tips on how to keep motivation levels high, making sure you’re back stronger and fitter than ever in no time:
GOALS
Give yourself something to work towards. Set achievable, realistic goals but don’t go too easy on yourself!
Make them challenging but attainable. Work with a physiotherapist to plan out your comeback, setting short-term
and long-term goals to help guide your recovery.
Ticking off those goals will give a great sense of achievement and boost your motivation!
Stay involved
One of the big problems faced when injured is the dreaded FOMO (Fear of missing out)! We get it, sport is your life,
your teammates are family and now everything has changed.
What on earth are you going to fill your evenings and Saturday mornings with now?
How do people cope without sport and exercise? (We don’t know either)
But it doesn’t have to be that way…
Don’t distance yourself from your teammates, get involved in as much as you can!
Whether it’s getting stuck in to coaching, helping out with the kit,
going to social events, just stay amongst it.
You’ll be back out on the pitch with them in no time!
Get social
A really great way to keep motivated is to document your road to recovery.
Keep track of your progress and prove to yourself just how far you’ve come since the injury first reared its ugly head.
There’s no better way to do this than through social media. Write a recovery blog,
post rehab videos and progress pics on Instagram, show the world that you’re putting the work in ready for your big comeback!
You’ll receive tons of support and help to motivate and educate others who are in a similar situation.
You might even get insta-famous, who knows?
Focus on what you CAN do, not what you can’t!
Just because you’re injured it doesn’t mean that you have to become a couch potato.
Don’t let your injury become an excuse for not exercising or being active.
It might not be obvious to everyone but we can still workout, get stronger, and participate in sport while recovering from an injury.
Just change it up a bit, if you’ve hurt your shoulder, get in the gym and train your legs! Sprained ankle? Build those biceps!
Try a new activity or sport that lets you move and have fun without aggravating your problem.
Swimming is a great low-intensity exercise that can be useful when injured, or maybe give yoga a try? Be proactive and don’t be lazy.
Reward yourself!
It’s going to be a tough journey and there may be times where you want to give up so give yourself
some incentive to work hard and reap the rewards!
Every time you hit a goal or target, see progress or genuinely feel like you’ve achieved something in your rehab then treat yourself.
Who doesn’t like a little treat?
Enjoy the journey!
An injury can seem like a massive setback in your training, sport or even life itself, but don’t look at it that way.
See this as an opportunity to improve, the chance to get stronger, fitter, better at what you do.
Learn the ins and outs of your injury, become an expert and really enjoy seeing yourself progress.
Challenge yourself and see what your body is capable of, rehab is all about seeing what you can’t do and working hard to change that,
but also seeing what you are capable of and getting even better at it!
So, there we have it, 6 helpful tips to keep you on the right track during your injury.
Stay focused, work hard, and enjoy the process!