Reposting in April 2023: I’ve had a couple of new injuries and I could use a pep talk on recovery…. perhaps you are in the same boat! 🙂
It’s tough when recovering from injuries. I seem to get injured at least a few times a year. Mainly it’s due to overwork/overuse while exercising, but sometimes it’s due to an accident.
I haven’t had a great track record of staying healthy during COVID-19; I’ve tripped (twice) while running, tearing up my left shin and knee, I ruptured my eardrum while swimming in Cabo. Right now, I’m at the tail end of recovering from tendonitis (too much running, too fast) and at the beginning of dealing with some lower back issues (150+ loaded squats in one day). It’s always something!
Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com
And I’m adding a disclaimer here that I am NOT a doctor… I’m sharing the tactics and approaches that have worked for me, but nothing substitutes for someone who actually knows what he/she is doing…a doctor! But I’ve learned a few things from recovering from injuries that might benefit you too.
Prevention
The best way to “recover” from an injury is to never have gotten injured in the first place. Easier said than done, right? But learn from my mistakes…
- The right equipment: This includes the right kind of shoes for the activity. If you are going hiking, invest in some hiking shoes (and wear them!) This includes earplugs when swimming, rain/cold gear, sun protection… the list goes on.
- Is the risk worth it: There are folks at my gym who do box jumps. I know that I can’t jump very high. Does it make sense to give it a try? Probably not!
- Consider what’s injured you in the past: This seems so obvious but darn it, I seem to need to learn this lesson over and over again. If deadlifts have hurt your back in the past (and you haven’t learned how to do them differently), what makes you think they won’t hurt when you try them again??
- Recognize that we’re all getting older: I hate to say it, but we just can’t bounce back the way we used to.
Physical Recovery
So you weren’t able to prevent an injury, and now you’re hurting. Assuming this isn’t an acute and serious injury (please go to the ER for that!), you’ve got to take care of your physical self and your mental health, in that order.
Go to the doctor: This is a no-brainer. I assumed my recent earache was just another ear infection. Turns out I have a hole in my eardrum! Never would have known that without actually seeing the doctor.
Rest and active recovery, when appropriate: Take it easy but not too easy. Follow the WebMD guidelines for whatever your situation is, but look for opportunities to move. I have found that this helps my mental health as well as longer term conditioning if I don’t just lounge on the sofa when recovering from injuries.
Modify what you were doing and try something new: And back off whenever something hurts. Who care if you “look silly” doing your modified version? I guess this is one of the benefits of getting older; you really don’t care too much what other people think 🙂
Go back to the doctor when you are supposed to: The doctor asked you to make a follow-up appointment for a reason- actually go back and see if things are improving. It will give you the confidence to potentially step it up in the active recovery.
Mindset Adjustments
Look at the big picture: As Kate has written, fitness is a lifelong journey, and it’s not always going to be a linear progression. Cut yourself some slack, allow yourself the time to recover, and then get back at it.
Adjust your eating/drinking: You are likely burning fewer calories during your recovery. And you are going to feel pretty bad if you put on 5lbs while you are trying to stay positive and get better. So take control and cut out a few treats- you will be grateful you did so later.
This too shall pass: Use this downtime to try new things and work on your mental health. Meditation, gentle stretching, reading and music can all be tools to help you get through this temporary phase of recovering from injuries.
How have you managed your physical and mental recovery after an injury? Tell us more in the comments.
