“How to stay motivated during the fitness journey?” This is one of the questions very commonly met in my profession. Whether is related to your fitness goals or your career, maintaining a high level of interest and excitement is never easy. What if, on top of that, you get injured?
I began to concern more shortly after a minor surgery which I had to go under if I wanted to keep running painlessly. Removal of plantar warts might seem like not a big deal, but in my case, it turned out to be bigger than planned. According to doctors, three to five, a maximum of seven days, was enough to recover enough to walk. Then I was supposed to be back to my usual workouts and shortly, to running.
Having lined up a lot of races, including my first half marathon, I had made a decision to get rid of nasty and painful warts quickly so I can be back on track sooner than later.
After three weeks of walking with crutches, I was not only struggling to keep my fitness spirit alive but also to believe that I will hit the running route anytime soon. Sure it wasn't anything serious and eventually, I would be back to my routine, but… That was not what I planned. That was not what I expected. And definitely, that was not what I would ever ask for.
So what do you do in a situation like this? (You don't need to necessarily have warts, (I do hope you will never get them), but you might be struggling with any other injury, knee pain, Achilles, ankles, lower back, shin splints, and so many, many others to name...)
So yes, what do you do?
There are few tricks to help you stay motivated throughout the recovery process, but all that starts way before you get injured.
1. PLAN AHEAD
Working on your motivation level starts way earlier than you might think, and it’s definitely before you get injured. You should be prepared from the start. Although none of us likes to think we might get hurt, we should always have that option in mind, so we won’t be disappointed when it happens.
2. BE FLEXIBLE
Make sure to keep your training program easily adjustable, fluid. Don’t be too rigid unless you’re training for a certain event. Even then you should be ready for changes. Even the best athletes can be out of the game (locker room, benched) within seconds.
It’s way more than just keeping your head in the game and your eyes on the prize. It’s about preparation. Not only physical but also, and mainly, a mental one.
3. BE OBSERVANT
If you feel fatigued (not lazy), rest. Learn how to listen to your body and recognize the difference between these two. If you rest – stay on track. Visualize. Recover your body as well as your mind.
4. MAKE WISE DECISIONS
If you don’t want to slow down and instead you choose to push harder, be ready for the worst. Don’t agonize, don’t be anxious and insecure. Just be ready.
5. STAY HOPEFUL & KEEP PLANNING
If the injury does occur, stay positive. As hard as it can be you should aim at staying on track, without forcing it. Lower the level of intensity and the volume of training. If it gets worse and you need to rest completely, keep planning. Don’t just give up on the activity and don’t let it slip away. Thinking about upcoming events or your personal goals will aid in the recovery.
Don’t let injury get to you, bring you down, and slow you down. Instead, strategize, analyze, update and modify your training program. If you kept it simple it shouldn’t be too difficult.
6. PACE YOURSELF
Get back to workouts SLOWLY. Pacing yourself sometimes is very challenging so don’t hesitate to ask for guidance or a second opinion. Don’t let the injury re-occur. Learn from it. Apply prevention techniques, treat it as a lesson learned, not a failure. This is how we learn, evolve, get better, smarter, and stronger. Tomorrow is another day and it can only be better.
You don’t have control over the past so worrying about it won’t help. Focus on the present, plan your future, be patient.
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