Setbacks, Injuries, and How to Get Out of Your Head

You wake up every morning determined to do all the things you can to set your day up for success and stay on schedule with a routine. Try as we might to avoid the obstacles and setbacks, they may still occur. For some, they come in the form of a change in schedule, health issues, injuries, etc. Mine came in the form of an injury recently and it affected me much more than I thought it would.

When your routine is changed and there's nothing you can do to stop it, it can be very discouraging. I experienced loss of motivation to engage in any physical activity because I knew I couldn't workout as hard as I had been previously. My circumstances had changed and I felt like I was no longer in control. I worried that all my progress would be lost.  It became hard to convince myself that at least doing SOMETHING in the gym was better than nothing. The issue though, is when the very thing that you feel too discouraged to do is also the thing that will improve your quality of life and mental health while adjusting to new changes.

It can be easy to assume that your feelings are just your own burden to bear and that you shouldn’t bother others with your thoughts. I’m here to reassure you that your family, friends, and community want to help you. Maybe making plans to get active alongside a friend will help you remember it’s not about intensity, it’s about finding joy in movement. Or, what about trying to follow a program, even if it’s different from your previous one? This could help continue to provide the structure you enjoy when working out.

Just  because your intensity in the gym has changed, doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll never get back to where you were. Especially after an illness or injury, our bodies need more rest. We need to give it the time to rebuild and reset and that requires patience. One of the biggest things I had to remember was that spending less time in the gym didn’t mean I wasn’t good enough. No setback is big enough to diminish my worth.  I have not failed. We are allowed to feel all of our feelings and give ourselves time and grace as we work through them. Even in the toughest situations, it’s good to look for any positives we can find. For example, some setbacks give the opportunity to practice our skills at adapting when circumstances aren’t ideal both in the gym and life in general. Your determination to get to the other side of your setback truly proves just how strong and resilient you are!

Bio: Keri Harvey is a NASM certified personal trainer and Pain Free Performance Specialist. She specializes in beginner strength training. Keri is currently training clients at Form Fitness Brooklyn in Brooklyn, New York. You can find her on Instagram and TikTok as @kharveyfit.