Bouncing back from injury: after an injury, attitude is everything

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, April, 2003 by Debbie Hanchin

if you experience a setback, it doesn't mean you can't return to successful competition. Injuries such as sprains, strains, tears and breaks can take anyone out of commission, but it's how you bounce back that keeps you in the game. Fitness competitors learn to deal with injuries, and pushing through with a positive attitude will bring about positive results.

Dealing with the aches and pains of not being able to work your body to its potential can be frustrating. Three-time Fitness Olympia champ Susie Curry knows the agony of injury firsthand: She sprained her ankle during the first 10 seconds of her two-minute routine at the 2002 Fitness International. She continued to perform through the pain, even though she felt a loss of strength in her ankle and tightness from the swelling.

"I couldn't execute the entire routine because of the loss of strength and balance, so I adjusted a few moves and kept plugging along until I was done. I didn't feel any tremendous amount of pain until I went backstage and the adrenalin wore off," she says. Susie admits it wasn't her best performance, but under the circumstances it was the best she had--and after all, she did limp away with first place.

After the contest. Susie had to use lighter weights in her lower-body workout and do some rehab with a stretch band. She says she has learned a lot about coming back from injury through experience. "I end up stronger physically and mentally for overcoming the challenge." she explains. "It makes me realize and appreciate the times when I'm healthy."

Working Through Injury

If you injure yourself, don't stop training altogether, recommends Mike Davies, an Ohio-based trainer for several top fitness competitors. Continuing to go to the gym will help the healing process, he says. The body and mind both undergo a traumatic event when an injury occurs, and the mental side of an injury can take just as much perseverance to overcome as the physical. "Work through it mentally. Work around it physically," Davies encourages.

The way the body contorts during fitness routines usually results in the back being the No. 1 injury, Davies states. No matter what bodypart you injure, your road to recovery should involve setting small goals and going back to basics, even if that means limiting the range of motion or working with machines rather than free weights.

Your injury doesn't have to be your own private burden. Find someone to get you back on your feet through therapy, advises Davies. Whoever that may be--a knowledgeable trainer, physical therapist or other medical specialist--he or she should be a key player in helping you get back to where you want to be.

Try to strengthen everything around the injury to stabilize the joint, Davies remarks. Take it slow and make adaptations. The most important issue to deal with is the fact that you're not physically at the same place post-injury. Even when you're healthy again, Davies recommends continuing with your therapeutic regimen. Caution is key to avoiding reinjury. "It happened once, it can happen again," he says.

Stay focused during your recovery period and don't give up, adds Susie. In the end, you'll be stronger--in body and mind.

Debbie Hanchin is an associate editor for Suhurban News Publications in Columbus, Ohio, She graduated from Ohio State University and is the group exercise manager, instructor and personal trainer for Bally Total Fitness. She also plays for the Columbus Flames, a National Women's Football Association team.