So You're Injured...Now What?! Blog Post By CDP Coach Caitlin Ring

So you’re injured, now what?

Written by Caitlin Ring

I am not here to write about the relationship between Crossfit and injuries, in fact I actually get tired of hearing people say to me that people that do Crossfit are more likely to get injured than people who don’t. Of course anyone could get injured doing Crossfit;  they could be doing movements incorrectly, working with an unmanageable load or rep scheme, poor coaching or just doing something that is out of control and stupid. But when you apply any one of those options to another activity such as soccer, hockey, running, yard work or home renovations, couldn’t your chances of being injured be just as good? I think no matter what physical activity a person chooses to be involved with, there will always be a risk of being injured. Being active for all of my life I have had my share of injuries some more serious than others, some being from playing sports and some from just from everyday life. Shit happens and it sucks but you’re injured, now what? Still currently rehabbing from shoulder surgery I can share what I have learned over the past few months, the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between.

1. Being injured messes with the mind. The physical repercussions of being injured are always apparent but the mental and emotional effects are less obvious. No matter how minor or serious your injury may be, it will probably mess with your mind. Over the past few months there were a wide range of emotions I went through. I felt isolated. Seeing people I love working out at the gym knowing I was not able to do the same thing, felt lonely and I felt disconnected from a community I loved so much. I felt envious and still do. I want to participate just like everyone else and I feel envy when I see people who are healthy tearing shit up and hitting PR’s, wishing that was me doing the same thing. I am always proud of everyone at our gym but I just couldn’t help but wish that I was able to do what they doing too! I am only beginning to really start to get this feeling as I am able to increase my activity load but I am fearful. I am scared to re injure myself. I know injury is always a possibility but I don’t want my fear to limit what I could be physically capable of. The one thing though that has got me through my recovery is that every day I will get a little bit better. There will be ups and downs along the way but ultimately in the long run, I will be better at what I do and that motivates me.
2. Learn to be patient. This is a bit of a work in progress for me personally but seriously be patient with yourself! Your body needs time to heal and recover. You’re not going to do your body any favors by pushing it too hard too soon after being injured. No matter if your injury only sidelines you for a week of if you are out for months, take the time to heal. I was really worried about losing all of my “gains” for being out of commission for months, but by still finding a way to be active during my recovery I don’t think I lost as much as I thought. Just the other day I hit a one rep max of 200# for my front squat, not bad for only air squatting or using a kettlebell for the last four months. That was a real turning point for me. Kevin, my physiotherapist, told me I won’t lose as much strength as I thought and well now I don’t doubt him as much. As tempting as it is to be adding weights and going harder in my workouts, I am going to be patient with my rehab because I see the bigger picture, I see where I want to be in three months from now and no one workout today or tomorrow is going to set me back from that vision. I also have to thank Kevin for drilling this in my head as me learning to be patient with my injury is mostly contributed to him; he knows how impatient I can be.
3. Do the work. The only person getting in your way of getting better is yourself. Put in the time to do the rehabilitation work. At time the progress may feel slow and you might feel discouraged but keep at it. Always keep the bigger picture in your mind, that goal of where you want to be in a few months! The hard work will pay off and you will be a better athlete because of it. Some of the stretching and strengthening exercises might not be the most exciting but those simple exercises are going to help you get back to where you want to be and possibly help prevent you from getting injured again.
4. Enjoy the time off. Now this is easier said than done but seriously, if an injury puts you out of commission for awhile, try and enjoy the break you are getting. Don’t get me wrong I wish I was out there doing what I enjoy the most but at the same time I am allowing my body and my mind to have a break from some of the pressures I might feel from the gym. Pressures of trying to get a progression of a body weight movement, wanting to PR a lift or trying to beat my time or reps of a certain workout. Sometimes I think we are all a bit hard on ourselves and it is ok to take a step back and just relax, and when you are healthy and ready to get back at it you will be stronger and better than you were.
5. Find support or a way to cope. Having support when you are down in the dumps during an injury is very important. Whether it is friends, family, teammates or people from your affiliate find someone you can open up to when you are having bad days.  As much as I felt a disconnect from the community I enjoyed to be around so much, I still tried to surround myself with those people even if some days were more difficult than others. I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity to be a part of the coach’s development program at Starke. This allowed me to cope during my injury. Even though I was unable to work out with everyone, my connection to the gym altered into learning to become a coach, which I feel very passionately about!

People get injured in all walks of life. It is physically and mentally debilitating and beyond frustrating but it happens and if it happens to you, you will get through it. There might be a lot of tears, sweat and probably more tears to get back to where you want to be but it can be done. Just keep in mind all of the awesome stuff you will be able to accomplish when your body is back at 100%!