Being in a sport, going to the gym, or doing any exercise can cause some sort of injury. When an injury occurs, it can be hard to know what to do next, or how to eventually get back to where you were. I personally have experienced quite a few injuries that were hard to come back from. In high school, I was on my school’s dance team and ended up fracturing my knee the night before tryouts. This injury had me sitting out from dance for months, and like any sport, with dance, you need to be consistent. Stretching, practicing, working every day so these months sitting out really pushed me back. It was very discouraging not knowing how to get back to where I was immediately, but once you get there it’s very rewarding. It’s important to make sure to do whatever is needed to recover correctly after injuries whether that be physical therapy or other forms of recovery. When something like this happens, it can lots of the time not only affect you physically but mentally as well. Make sure to stay on top of how you’re feeling mentally and stay motivated to get back to where you were before the injury. It could be helpful to set SMART goals. A specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goal. It can also be helpful to accept support from those around you. Going through an injury that can hold you back can be hard, but having the right support system helps a lot.
Injuries always stink! Especially when you are so focused on your goals to start, and this throws a wrench in your plan. I agree, focusing on your physical therapy and ensuring your mental state is at a place you want it to be is crucial. It can be very easy to become unmotivated and to want to just quit.
I can relate to get injuries and it affecting my mental health. At the beginning of the school year I broke my foot and I was really stressed out about it.
Coping with injuries can be so tedious! This is why I’ve really tried to make it a better practice to prioritize my flexibility by performing yoga weekly!