5 Things To Do As An Injured Athlete
Through the last few years, I’ve had a few people ask me why I keep putting myself through so much just for a sport. I never really take offense to that question, but it does make me think about the answer. Why have I kept going after four major injuries? I did it because to me it was worth it, and I was able to use those years in my life to make myself better. In those moments, I didn’t always feel like I was getting better, but so many aspects of my life were improved during the struggle. I did a little brainstorming this week to give you some of the ways I was able to make light of the darkness of being an injured athlete. I probably could have made a longer list, but these 5 things all seemed to outweigh the rest. They’re little things, but without them, I don’t know if I would have kept going.
one: start a journal
There’s something about putting my thoughts down on paper that has always eased my mind when there’s a lot going on. There’s a few different ways I’ve used journaling to help me through injuries over the last few years, especially since I started college. I’ve used this hobby a few different ways, and that’s what I love about it: there’s no rules, just a way to put literally anything on paper, and have it be just for me. Sometimes, I simply documented my day so I could see my progress over time, and have something to look back on when I felt down. Some days, I would write down 5 different goals to help me remember what I wanted, and motivate myself to keep pushing. Two of them had to be about rehab and the athletic part of my life, two of them were to be about something else I wanted to improve on in life, and the last goal I would write would be something I wanted to focus on the next day. These are just a few examples of different pages I’ve journaled, but honestly it has been my favorite way to decompress at night, especially recently. On the good days too! Sometimes it turns into a prayer, or a list of things I’m thankful for. It’s such a good way to stay in tune with yourself, and force yourself to make time to reflect, relax, and rejuvenate.
two: make rehab your sport
I can speak from experience that this mindset made rehab much more enjoyable. My first physical therapist told me “make rehab your new sport.” I didn’t really think much of her advice because in my head, rehab was something I had to do on my own time, and had nothing to do with my sport. I was wrong! The whole point of rehab is to prepare you for when the time comes to step on the court or field again. I started making workouts that included my rehab exercises. I would pair each rehab exercise with an upper body exercise and go back and forth between sets. I would forget I was doing rehab, and also felt like I was getting a good workout in. It was such a little adjustment, but it made me appreciate what I was able to do, and forced me to get creative!
three: find a way to help your team
This seems like a really broad piece of advice, but I want to try and encourage an athlete going through an injury to really be intentional about finding things to do even when you can’t physically help your team. I’m not talking about giving high fives or screaming on the bench (that’s great too). Talk with your coaches and figure out something that you can do to help them out to benefit the team. For me, this was watching film, run the clock at practice, help run drills, and even be in charge of coach’s clip board during games:) It will give you something to look forward to, and be held accountable for, and quite honestly your coaches will probably appreciate the extra help. If you’re a coach reading this, ask your injured athletes what they would feel comfortable doing, and how involved they want to be. I remember at first not knowing what to do everyday, or what my coaches wanted from me. All it took was one conversation and a few ideas to get me excited for the new role I was in. I’m super thankful my coaches were always willing to help me find things to do and made sure I felt valued, and had these conversations with me.
four: enjoy other workouts
Being a college athlete, my workouts have always been intense, fast paced, and difficult. Going through an injury means scaling back or maybe completely pausing physical activity. Sometimes I forget that working out doesn’t have to be a grueling lift or running sprints. If your injury allows it, hop on a bike, take a walk, or get in the pool. Turn on a core workout video in your living room, or go to a yoga class. Find some sort of exercise that you enjoy, and maybe don’t always have time or energy to do. It’s good for both the body and mind, and you may find a new hobby for when you’re no longer an athlete:) Swimming was my best friend during my achilles recovery. I was fortunate enough to have a basketball coach with a swimming background, and she would come to the pool with me twice a week and put me through workouts. Swimming is probably something I would never have tried, but it was all I was allowed to do for cardio for a while. I loved it and now use it as a workout every week!
five: take care of body
This is the topic I struggled the most with through my experiences with injuries. My brain always made me think that a less intense workout schedule meant I needed to eat less. This led to really struggling with what I looked like, and a lot of questions about nutrition. I was reminded that when your body is healing, it’s going through alot, and needs to be fueled just as much as when you're in full swing of your sport. It’s not about how much, but what you’re putting in your body that makes a difference. Sleep is also so important in the recovery process, and should something you prioritize while recovering from an injury. There’s not a lot you can control when you’re injured, but nutrition and sleep is something you can. One final thought is that every person is different. I’m super guilty of comparing myself to others, and getting stuck in the “social media is the standard” mindset. Every athlete’s injury is different, and should be treated differently. Be easy on yourself and take the time to figure out what your body needs.
