Injury

For a lot of us, getting over a hiatus and back into our regular training schedule can be one of the toughest endeavors we will take on. The reason for the hiatus plays a significant part in how we pick back up our training.

There are numerous reasons why an athlete may need to take a break, injury being one of the most common. But there are also personal reasons such as family obligations, school, professional career not in athletics, etc. This time period may not mean a complete stop to training, but at the very least it involves scaling down of volume for the sake of time and in some cases, energy.

In this article, we will discuss the one reason that a lot of athlete takes breaks from training: injury. Unfortunately, many of us can relate to this. Whether the injury was sustained from a competition or training or just a freak accident (Watch Out It Does Not Happen to You1), it is frustrating to know that it takes us away from getting better at our craft.

So besides doing what we can to avoid injuries in the first place, what can we do to bounce back when we do sustain one?

How Did It Happen?


First, we need to consider what we do during the time when we are injured. In the middle of February, I suffered a fracture on my right 7th rib posterior laterally.

 

Fractured 7th Rib
X-Ray –  Fractured 7th Rib

 

That was sustained during training and I did not get the x-ray until a month afterwards. It felt like a really bad muscle pull at the time so I stayed away from activities that stretched my ribs, thinking it will heal relatively quick.

During that time, I amped up my back squat volume and intensity to “make up” for the lack of training that I could do overall. So I was training with a fractured rib for a month before realizing it.

What prompted me to get the x-ray was a pain in my upper back and chest after my squat workouts. The pain was excruciating especially when taking deep breathes. I thought it was a subluxated rib so I went to a chiropractor.

Got the recommended x-rays and voila! My spine has a slight bent to it (I suspect the amped up volume of high bar back squats), in addition to the fractured rib.

 

Bent Spine
Explains the Back Pain

 

Not being in the best of condition, I decided to take a break from training at that point. During this time period I almost quit training all together. But looking back now, getting back into training was one of the best things to happen to me; after getting the proper adjustments and okay from my chiro first of course.

Attitude is Everything


I have “re-found” the joy of training, and most of all, my actions were aligning with my goals. And knowing from the start that the end result was me achieving my goals was the number one big factor that helped me get back to my schedule.

I constantly reminded myself of where I want to be, the awesome feeling I get when I train, and all the goals that I believe I can accomplish.

Of course, you do not want to push yourself to the brink of depression like I also did. Thoughts of how we are currently not getting better, or losing progress, or others are getting ahead of us are NOT going to help. So we want to keep a positive mental attitude about it, even when the going gets tough.

Having a buddy (or buddies) for support during those times can be a tremendous help. I personally did not choose to rely on a buddy but I felt it would have made a big difference in my mood if I had. However, I still made it through and so can you if you are in a similar situation.

“…reminded myself of where I want to be… and all the goals that I believe I can accomplish.”

I know what you are thinking. That was a lot of words to convey the simple message of having a positive attitude and outlook even in the face of an injury. But I wanted to highlight how although an injury can make us feel like we are stagnant in our progress when in fact, it is the perfect time for us to reflect on our goals and make sure that we are still on the right path for us as individuals.

Take The Necessary Time and Reflect


I have personally discovered that this downtime is the silver lining from having an injury. In the case we are not sure if we are working towards something that we ultimately want, this reflection process will definitely provide insight.

For those of us who are sure of their goals and methods of getting there (or who thinks they are), this will either confirm or add to what you were already doing.

So what has helped you as an individual bounce back from an injury? Please share in the comments below.

Extra: An interesting study shows that creatine supplementation during rehabilitation stimulated strength and muscle growth2.

Stay healthy,

-Wing

 

References:

  1. “10 Embarrassing MLB Player Injuries.” CBS Local. N.p., 23 May 2014. Web. 8 May 2016.
  2. Journal of Physiology, 536.2:625-633, 2001.

 

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Written by 

I've just started getting serious about health and fitness around 2014. Since then I've learned the insider info on how to optimize athletic performance and healthy living through both nutrition and proper training. The most important thing I've discovered however, is the connection between the mindset of those that excel in athletics, and those that succeed in their life pursuits. I've spent the last couple years observing and drawing these connections and similarities, finally created a platform to share with you all what I've found, and how to apply them in your own life to get similar results.

8 thoughts on “Recovering From An Injury

  1. Hi Wing,
    I have to confess, I’m not into sports, but music. Your article along with your site name caught my attention.
    I believe the mindset helps for everything to get better, so it was very interesting to read it from the perspective of an athlete.

    You mention that you constantly reminded yourself about your goals, just like I would if I was close to the situation. Your way of looking at the injury made it probably easier to heal and get back to training.

    It made me wonder, because in the world of music, this is not too often spoken about. How is that among athletes?

    Keep up your great training, I’m sure you’re great!

    Odd Helge

    1. Hi OHHveding,

      I’m glad you can relate to this from a musical perspective. I agree with what you said, that the right mindset makes everything better. And I feel the same way, my attitude had a part in helping me get better much easier.

      From my experience, I don’t see enough attention given to the mindset of athletes. Sure there are plenty of talk about the “mental” game and how it affects performance. But that’s just during the game, on the court, on the field, in the ring, etc. Not enough focus is given to how the overall mindset affects athletic performance (attitude towards nutrition, training, life in general). I see a lot of general life principles applies to athletic endeavors and vice versa, so I think the info from this site will be a great help to all athletes everywhere. And the other part of my goal was to reach people such as yourself that are not into athletics per se, but has been able to relate to the info but your own standpoint.

      Thank you for your kind words! I do what I can and hopefully I’ll get to where I want to be one day!

      -Wing

  2. Hello Wing,

    Sad to hear from your injury of your 7th rib on February this year. I also got a Injury not on my 7th rib but in my lower back by deadlifting, You got any tips to help me or make me feel better during the Injury?

    Greetings,
    Joury K

    1. Joury,

      Sorry to about your back injury. Deadlifting is very taxing on the lower back and central nervous system (CNS) so I’d suggest staying away from them for a few weeks after you heal. As far as during your injury, do you know what type of injury it is? If not, I’d get X-Rays to see if any bone damage has occurred. My chiropractor had me get X-Rays and thankfully he did. If he did adjustments on my back with a fractured rib who knows how much damaged that’d have done.

      If no bone damage is present, I’d see if you can get to a chiropractor and explain to him your pain. I personally go to a Gonstead chiropractor and I recommend ones that practice this type of chiropractic. In the mean time, I’d take pressure off the lower back as much as possible. Standing and sitting for long periods of time can aggravate it. I don’t want to recommend any specific stretches since I don;t know the extent of your injury.

      I wish you the best of luck and hope you get well soon!

      -Wing

  3. I’ve never had any major injury with any of my hands or my feet but I do know people who have had accidents. But just like with exercising or doing any physical activity attitude just like you said plays a lot into the role of recovering or getting something done. People who I know who have had injuries stretch, change to a healthier diet as well as do other things in order to recover faster which is one of the most important things in injury

    1. Hi Chris,

      Yes, what you said is very true. A healthier diet definitely contributes to faster recovery.

      I’m glad you never had any major injuries. Trust me, you’re not missing out.

      -Wing

  4. Hello Wing,

    I suffered an injury while training for a marathon a few months back which made me feel totally defeated. I can relate to the feelings you had mentioned of losing progress and feeling down about unable to perform any training. However, I took that time to put things into perspective.

    What pulled me through the recovery process was knowing that this injury wasn’t permanent and that I would come out of it in a month. Some people aren’t lucky enough to even participate in a marathon. There are also others that injure themselves badly enough not to compete…. So I had it good in comparison.

    1. Alex,

      Thanks for your sharing your perspective. I’m glad that you recovered and saw things the way you did.

      Sometimes, it’s important to appreciate what we do have instead of complaining about what we don’t.

      -Wing

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