Staying Strong After a Setback: When New Injuries Happen

You've worked hard to overcome your pain through Pilates. Finally, you are enjoying life in a way you didn't know was possible. Then, without warning, you suffer another setback and reinjure yourself.
Feelings of defeat and hopelessness take over. How can you possibly overcome this latest obstacle after all your hard work?  Let's explore how you can successfully recover from further pain and injury, even though you've already experienced this once and didn't think it would happen again in this situation.  I assist my Pilates clients in overcoming their chronic pain, and I'm also there for them if any new injuries arise down the track. The mind-body connection of Pilates plays a significant role in your recovery, so here's how to stay strong and recover successfully after a setback.

Why New Injuries Feel So Defeating

It was mid-January when I received an SOS text from my client of more than 5 years.  A family day at the beach with her kids had taken an unexpected turn. She had fallen while walking on slippery rocks and broken a bone in her foot. To say she was distressed was an understatement. Having overcome debilitating back pain years earlier, her mind was racing ahead to all the possible scenarios. She feared having her foot in a boot as walking unevenly could trigger her back pain again. There were a lot of what-ifs going through her mind, and the thought of having another injury while caring for her children was causing anxiety. Above all, she felt defeated. She had worked hard to recover from ongoing back pain, but did this mean she was back to square one? It's normal to feel a range of negative emotions when you are reinjured, but with previous Pilates training, recovery will be so much easier the second time around.

What This Setback Really Means for Your Progress

Having rehabilitated from pain or injury once already through Pilates, any further injuries are much easier to overcome. This is one of the many amazing benefits of Pilates. When you first start Pilates, you learn how to breathe more efficiently, how to connect with and use your abdominal muscles, and how to find your best posture. You also develop body awareness. These skills that helped you overcome your first injury are all in place, ready to fast-track you back to health for any future injuries. My client, who broke her foot, had to wear a boot, but with a Pilates program I tailored specifically for her was able to avoid any flare-ups of back pain. When she was permitted by her doctor to start strengthening her foot, we worked on that too.  And 3 years later, both her back pain and foot injury are history.

Staying Mentally Resilient During Recovery with the Pilates Mind-Body Connection 

Another of my clients who injured her knee during a netball game said she gave herself 24 hours to feel sorry for herself before she focused on her recovery. She took this time to cry, scream, and get all the negative emotions out of the way before she replaced them with the positive. She felt a lot better after this and was ready to start work. A positive mindset is vital during recovery, and while this can be a challenge at times, it's worth persevering.  Calm your nervous system with breathing, guided relaxation sessions, and meditation. The more you can minimise stress hormones floating around your body, creating inflammation, the better. Pilates is a mind-body connection, and the more positive your mind is, the quicker your recovery.  This connection enables you to control your body with your mind. The more skilled you become with this, the quicker your recovery.  Celebrate small amounts of progress as huge wins and focus on them all the time. If you can sit for 10 minutes without pain, celebrate. If you can walk for 5 minutes without pain, celebrate it!  Remain relaxed and positive. It will help you take control of your body with your mind and help you recover as quickly as possible.

Moving Forward With Greater Awareness and Strength

Knowing you can bounce back from injury or pain with your Pilates skills is an empowering feeling. Interestingly, the more experienced you become with your Pilates practice, the less likely you are to injure yourself. The strength and body awareness you develop over time through Pilates helps to prevent injury too. My clients all do balance training in their sessions, and so many of them will trip or stumble but not fall because their training kicks in when they need it. Unfortunately, though accidents happen that are unavoidable, like my client who fell on the slippery rocks. She didn't know they were slippery until it was too late. Whatever your circumstances, my unique Pilates program can help you recover from your first and any subsequent injuries in the future. My client of 19 years calls Pilates her insurance policy for preventing and overcoming injury!

If you are dealing with pain or injury and would like to start 1 on 1 virtual Pilates sessions with me email me at [email protected]. Alternatively, sign up HERE and we can schedule an appointment time. If you want to work independently, join my online Pilates program of on-demand videos which I specifically designed to help you recover from pain or injury. It would be my pleasure to assist you on your Pilates journey to pain-free living!