But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down"
(Chumbawamba)
Injuries...yeah, I've had a few. Strains, sprains, bruises, inflammation, tendinopathy, tears, fractures and not to mention burst appendix and a case of "man cold"(!!). As for treatments, I've tried rest, physio, massage, rest, dry needling, ulatrasound, rest, taping, cortisone injections and just recently (June), some more surgery. Nothing like some good scars to show-off...
I write that to simply illustrate that injuries and ill-health are a fact of life, perhaps moreso when you play sports. There's no good time to be injured - or sick - but how you respond makes a big difference to how soon you return to the game. It's not how hard you hit the ground, but how well you rebound that's important.
I'm not a medical professional, and you should always consult one to assess your condition. However, what I will try to describe is how to approach the situation of being injured and what kind of things to do.
The biggest obstacle athletes have in relation to injuries is denial. When you're fit and healthy it seems inconceivable that you could break down or get sick. Besides, as athletes we're used to pushing through fatigue, pain and more so you rarely feel 100%. However there's pain and there's pain, and the sooner you can acknowledge that the pain you're feeling is not normal the better off you'll be. Early intervention is the key, even if it means swallowing your pride. Be honest with yourself, because the only person you're fooling in denying an injury is you.
While there are a range of common and frequent injuries sustained by athletes from the same sports you should consider your injury as unique, and not necessarily be complacent because of someone else's 'miracle' recovery. Sure, you can learn a lot from people who've been in those situations but you are still best served seeing a medical professional about YOUR injury. The theme is to be honest with yourself and get it checked out.
Should your injury be something that requires rest - full (all sports) or partial (just one sport) - then you're faced with the reality of the situation, and often it's hard to accept and swallow. Sympathy is cheap when you can't join in. But action is the antidote to despair, which means you should focus on what you CAN do, not what you can't.
There are lots of things you CAN do...remember, doing your chosen sport is and was just one of a million options for spending your time and energy. So that leaves one millon-minus-one things you can still do...and many of them can be constructive to your development as an athlete. These things will inevitably be different and less than you're used to do doing, but at least you're being proactive about rehab and maintenance. Understand and respect the limitations of your injury, and then work with them and not against them.
Here's some practical suggestions (clear these with your medical professional):
Injuries...yeah, I've had a few. Strains, sprains, bruises, inflammation, tendinopathy, tears, fractures and not to mention burst appendix and a case of "man cold"(!!). As for treatments, I've tried rest, physio, massage, rest, dry needling, ulatrasound, rest, taping, cortisone injections and just recently (June), some more surgery. Nothing like some good scars to show-off...
I write that to simply illustrate that injuries and ill-health are a fact of life, perhaps moreso when you play sports. There's no good time to be injured - or sick - but how you respond makes a big difference to how soon you return to the game. It's not how hard you hit the ground, but how well you rebound that's important.
I'm not a medical professional, and you should always consult one to assess your condition. However, what I will try to describe is how to approach the situation of being injured and what kind of things to do.
The biggest obstacle athletes have in relation to injuries is denial. When you're fit and healthy it seems inconceivable that you could break down or get sick. Besides, as athletes we're used to pushing through fatigue, pain and more so you rarely feel 100%. However there's pain and there's pain, and the sooner you can acknowledge that the pain you're feeling is not normal the better off you'll be. Early intervention is the key, even if it means swallowing your pride. Be honest with yourself, because the only person you're fooling in denying an injury is you.
While there are a range of common and frequent injuries sustained by athletes from the same sports you should consider your injury as unique, and not necessarily be complacent because of someone else's 'miracle' recovery. Sure, you can learn a lot from people who've been in those situations but you are still best served seeing a medical professional about YOUR injury. The theme is to be honest with yourself and get it checked out.
Should your injury be something that requires rest - full (all sports) or partial (just one sport) - then you're faced with the reality of the situation, and often it's hard to accept and swallow. Sympathy is cheap when you can't join in. But action is the antidote to despair, which means you should focus on what you CAN do, not what you can't.
There are lots of things you CAN do...remember, doing your chosen sport is and was just one of a million options for spending your time and energy. So that leaves one millon-minus-one things you can still do...and many of them can be constructive to your development as an athlete. These things will inevitably be different and less than you're used to do doing, but at least you're being proactive about rehab and maintenance. Understand and respect the limitations of your injury, and then work with them and not against them.
Here's some practical suggestions (clear these with your medical professional):
- As a triathlete, have a focus period on the sports you can still do...as long as it's not detrimental to your injury.
- Do a modified version of the sport you're injured in. Eg, Deep water running, stationary bike trainer, swimming with pool buoy.
- If you're a single-sport athlete...take up a new sport. Pick on that uses the same half of your body - upper/lower. Eg, A runner takes up cycling. A swimmer takes up kayaking.
- Core and general strength work...almost EVERY athlete can benefit from more core strength training.
Athletic performance is part physical and part mental so there's also a great opportunity to shift the weighting of your preparation, and boost your overall performance. An educated athlete will beat a less-educated athlete of similar ability every time. Education covers everything from knowledge of your body, training techniques and nutrition to tactics and psychology. Spending time on the outside looking in gives you new perspective, understanding and appreciation for sports performance...and even some valuable insights. But only if you're looking for them.
Try, also, being a supporter on the sidelines for a while by investing time and energy in supporting your friends, encouraging them and helping them. They'll appreciate it and it keeps you as part of the team/group. Pay it foward for a while and in the long-term you'll be far better off for the experience.
Finally, when it's time for your comeback - to get up again - you'll have greater wisdom and will treasure the opportunity to actually be fit and active again. It's a gift and not a right, because there's millions of people who'd love to be in your shoes.
So when you're injured look on the bright side at what you CAN do, for both you and others around you. Put back in. It's good for karma.
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