Dealing with Injury
Adapting your routine
Injuries or physical limitations can make life harder, but they also allow you to flex your creative muscles. Taking two minutes to reflect on what you CAN do will leave you with endless options to keep moving forward.
Strategies:
Focus on What You Can Do: If you’re dealing with a lower body injury, concentrate on upper body exercises. After an Achilles rupture, for example, you could still work on your push-ups and pull-ups.
Low-Impact Alternatives: We recently had a client who underwent surgery and couldn’t do upper body work for two months. We focused on lower body strength and building aerobic capacity. While they were bummed to miss full-body training, making progress in other areas helped them stay engaged.
Incorporate Mobility Work: It’s easy to neglect improving your joint function and range of motion—until you lose those ranges or sustain an injury due to the lack of it. Focus on improving the mobility of non-injured areas to become more durable when you return to full function.
Lack of Motivation: Finding Your Drive
Staying motivated can be tough, especially when progress feels slow or obstacles arise.
Strategies:
Set Small, Achievable Goals: Break your larger goals into smaller, manageable steps. Celebrate each small victory to keep your motivation high. We don’t do this often enough.
Create a Routine: Establish a regular exercise schedule. Consistency helps turn actions into habits, making it easier to stick with your fitness plan.
Build a Support System: Fitness is much easier when you have a coach, training partners, or a combination of both. Find people who have created a lifestyle around the habits you are working towards. When the desired behavior is common in that group, it’s much easier to be successful.
Visualize Your Success: Picture yourself achieving your fitness goals. This mental exercise can reinforce your motivation and commitment.
Take Action Today
No matter what barriers you’re facing, there’s always a way to keep moving forward. The key is to be adaptable, creative, and persistent. Remember, the journey to better health is a marathon, not a sprint.
Small, consistent efforts over time will lead to big results.