Maintaining Motivation Whilst Injured.

It's easy to lose focus when injured. I speak from personal experience, but also through observing and treating my patients. The main thing that i have found, is that the training program is either totally forgotten about, or only used marginally as a fleeting effort to maintain some kind of structure. Injuries can be acute or chronic, but the impact on the program can be similar in intensity in the short term, however have a different impact in the long term. My main focus is on the chronic injuries, the people in the late 20's+ cohort, who have used and abused their bodies through sport and fitness, harbor niggles, and if not managed well, develop injuries, which sideline for period of time.

Seeking out a health care professional, getting a diagnosis, and prognosis, receiving treatment, and implementing a rehabilitation protocol is a fantastic start. During this period the training program may cease if the injury is very irritable, or may be modified to take the focus away from the injured site (if possible), but there will be a significant effect on the training program. This in itself will cause frustration, anger, annoyance, feelings which are all very negative, but unfortunately a very human response to injury and the impact injury has on routine. Routine is something all fitness enthusiasts share, as fitness becomes habitual and part of one's lifestyle, we hate change, we hate stopping, but once we've accepted the injury, and impact the injury has had, we can then start planning the future training plan.

The motivation that was affected through injury, comes back pretty quickly through physical therapy, having a prognosis and realistic timeframe of full recovery, abstaining from aggravating movements whilst rehabilitating, and having never lost the training program. The training program should always be active, even if cessation from activity for a week or month due to the injury has to be enforced, planning for return to activity should be implemented. A clear idea/plan for return to training is vital for focus and motivation, and the return plan should be modified according to injury restrictions and fitness levels at that time, you won't be as fit as you were pre injury, so don't expect to lift or run your PR's your first session back.

Don't forget from week 1 to week infinity, you need to make your rehabilitation exercises a staple part of your training routine, there's a reason why your shoulder gave up on you! Movement restrictions, postural dysfunction, and weakness led up to the problem, so in order for you to overhead squat, make sure you do the basics or you'll be back at square one! This is the best way to stay healthy, prevent injury, maintain your training program, and maintain motivation!