ecovering from injury took on a whole new meaning for me in February, when I learned I had sustained an umbilical hernia; my abdominal muscle wall had been compromised. It limited my ability to lift anything heavy, demonstrate exercises, and ultimately required surgery. Faced with a longer than desired recovery period, humbling muscle weakness, and pain, my mind created mental roadblocks on top of the physical injury. This predicament inspired me to write this second recovery article (see Part 1, How to Recover from a Training Injury). While taking a step back and letting my body heal, I learned that the mind can be a powerful ally, physical therapy is a great resource for rehabilitation, time and patience will help me bounce back from my first major injury.
Whether you are dealing with a recent injury, recovering from a surgery, or working through chronic pain, I hope that what helped me, will keep you moving forward and return to training too!
Reframe Negative Self-Talk
Although I have had a few minor injuries in the past, nothing has caused me a significant amount of pain or kept me from hard training for more than a month. Post-surgery I faced a 6-week recovery period with prescribed ‘minimal activity’, weakened muscles, and pain. I went from feeling strong and confident to having to rely on other people to help me do basic things like lift my son or get out of bed.
The mental side of an injury can be just as tough as the physical side. Having the negative thoughts that you are “broken” or “weak” or that you will “never be the same” can be disheartening. The mind is a powerful tool and focusing on your pain can actually make it worse! Negative self-talk can prevent you from moving forward and working towards becoming pain free. Try reframing your thoughts! “My back hurts. I’ll never be able to deadlift again.” can become “I am going to prioritize core strength while I make my back stronger.” A subtle shift in your mindset will give you a much more positive outlook towards the future.
Be Diligent About Rehab Exercises
Sometimes years of poor habits or patterns lead us to injury. If you take time off and go right back to training as you did before the injury, you are likely to get hurt again. Try to get to the root of the problem and seek the guidance of an experienced physical therapist or rehab professional. They will help correct inefficient movement patterns and build strength to prevent a future injury. I have been working with a great physical therapist to rebuild my core strength and improve my technique. Remember, to get better you actually have to do the rehabilitation exercises they give you!
Start Slowly
Training can be a scary thought after an injury. You will have to face the fear of re-injury or the hard truth that you aren’t as strong as you used to be. Both can be tough obstacles to overcome. I encourage you to start slow and strive for steady progress! Celebrate the little victories and take it easy on yourself. Find those pain free movements that feel good and try to build strength there. To start it may be riding a stationary bike or walking. Maybe you can focus on upper body training while you rehab your knee. Maybe you can only train lower body while your shoulder heals. Continuing to train healthy parts of your body will help your injured area get better faster. You may even surprise yourself and make great progress in a new area while you work through your injury.
Following these simple tips has really helped me on my road to recovery after surgery. I am now slowly getting back to training and trying to rebuild myself stronger than ever before. Your body is strong and capable. This injury won’t last forever! Remember to shift your mindset to a positive outlook, be diligent to correct the root cause of your injury and start slowly once you are able to train again! Unfortunately, we will all deal with injuries at some point, but if we are proactive, we can minimize their impact and become healthier in the future!
