Injured? Here's How to Stay Motivated and on Track
Updated: 5 days ago
Struggling to stay motivated during our fitness journey is nothing new. On the contrary, it's probably one of the most discussed subjects when it comes to sports performance.
Once in a while, we all hit the proverbial wall. But eventually we manage to bounce back and restore our routine. Things don't look so easy, however, when we get injured. We may be more motivated than ever, but the pure will to work out won't help us magically speed up the healing process.
So what can you do when life throws your workout plan a curveball and sidelines you for weeks, if not months?
I came up with 5 tips to help you stay motivated when injured, but it all starts way before that actually happens.
1. Plan Ahead
Working on your motivation 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. Stay Flexible (and I don't mean your hamstrings, although that's important too)
Keep your training program adjustable and 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 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 — mental.
3. Be Observant and Make Wise Decisions
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 but also your mind.
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.
4. Stay Hopeful, Keep Planning and Don't Obsess Over the Injury
If the injury does occur, stay positive.
Aim to stay on track without forcing it, and adjust the level of intensity and the volume of training accordingly. 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.
Focusing on the injury too much can demotivate you and even delay the healing process. Instead, strategize, analyze, update, and modify your training program. If you keep it simple, it shouldn’t be too difficult.
5. Pace Yourself and Stay Motivated, Especially When Injured
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 recur just because you didn't recover in the first place. 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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