Have you ever got lost on a road trip but discovered a waterfall, beautiful view or cafe you might not have found otherwise? The frustration of the wrong turn can be easily forgotten when there is success to be found.
Injuries change lives. They affect how we move. They affect how we sleep. They affect how we think. They affect how we feel about ourselves. The truth is that injuries happen. No matter what sport you’re in. However, that does not mean that you can’t turn an injury into an opportunity to grow.
The view I now take is that there is always something to be gained in equal proportion to the accident. Every injury that you suffer (and they will come) is a gift.
In our training program we see a great deal of people who are injured (and most, you’ll be happy to know are injured outside of the gym). However, it often affect a person’s mindset towards training, and confidence has been lessened, ultimately preventing them from continuing with us. For us, this can be frustrating, because it’s our vision and mission to help as many people as possible, live happier healthier lives, with or without injuries.
Vision Statement
Our VISION is to reduce chronic illness & disease in eight thousand people in a sustainable and measurable way.
Mission Statement
Our deepest purpose as an organisation is to be the best, most fun, non-judgemental and effective fitness community striving to provide exceptional health & fitness experiences in an environment that cultivates healthy and positive change in everyone.
What to do if you have an injury
The major benefit I see, is that an injury is an intensely personal thing. Therefore, forces us to forget all competition, and focus solely on our own progress. This in itself is a massive gift that can be unlocked, it then sets realistic metrics for success, you can begin working towards them. If for instance you’ve injured your back, and it hurts at night on a scale of 1 to 10 pretty close to a 5 or a 6. The goal I would set is to find things that lessen the pain, so that I can lower it down to a 3 or 4. In this instance the method may be a combination of seeing a good physiotherapist (we have some good links), and performing twice daily mobilisations to the glutes and back muscles and surrounding tissues using a lacrosse ball, with a weekly sports massage. In this case, back pain can be lessened and voila, you’re on the path to recovery and feeling good because we can feel like we’re making progress.
A second example, for myself has been my right hip. I’ve damaged it in some way. Meaning that I can no longer perform single leg squats. It goes weak at a certain point of hip flexion (when my knee gets closer to my chest). So, my metric of success is currently, to increase gently the range in which it feels strong and stable. So far, I’ve scaled back my progressions, to one which I can feel the same recruitment of muscle in both legs, and then over the last few months have been progressively increasing the depth of the squat, and soon will be able to increase the difficulty of the progression further once I’ve developed further strength and stability in the joint. In this instance, I never would have quite focused so greatly on the nuances of a single leg squat as much had I had not experienced this injury. I wouldn’t be emphasising the point as much of glute activation and strengthening. Or watching for valgus (inward) knee in our members as much, had I not been experiencing this injury to my own right hip. In fact, getting injured in my right hip has been a god send. It’s allowed me to become a more caring and diligent coach as a result and allows me the opportunity to help our members before they get to this point. It’s also forced me to focus more on the things that are failing me but are still entirely within my control (nutrition), rather than lifting heavy weights.
I suspect that any injury within the body, can be seen as a metaphor in how to approach challenges in life. That is why I believe so passionately in the benefit of injury. The opportunities they present are unique and will lead each and every single person on a journey they never thought they would take, and with the right approach and mindset, setting proper and achievable metrics for success, we can come to appreciate them for the gift which they really are.
Focus on what you can control not what you can’t
If you’re injured, or recovering from one, it’s also important to concentrate movements that you can do, in recovery, and not focus on the movements you can’t. Our classes can be intense, but they can 100% be adjusted towards each individual person so they are suitable to your circumstances.
So let’s turn what we can’t do, into what we can so we can continue on our journey. If this has resonated in you – it’s probably time to book a goal review with a coach so we can support you moving forward.
HERE TO HELP
Want to find out more about how we can help? You can book a Free Intro where you will meet a friendly coach at Primal Mvmnt Fitness & Nutrition gym based in Newton Abbot, build a custom plan with a personal trainer aligned to your goals and budget to change your life for the better! Book on the button below.
Our mission is to help first! Why not check out one of our previous blogs below:
THE MYTH OF RELYING ON MOTIVATION: EMBRACING THE POWER OF CONSISTENCY
A DELIGHTFUL HEALTHY APPLE CRUMBLE!
In Health
Coach Kate
Coach & Customer Success Manager