How to Deal with Fitness Setbacks
There’s a lot of fitness information out there. Some good. Some… not so much. The common thread is that they’re all about how to do fitness-y things when everything’s going well. When you’re feeling good and have time. When your world isn’t crashing down on you for any one of a hundred reasons. But what do you do when things aren’t great? It’s not an easy topic, but it’s important because we will all have setbacks. You’ll get sick. Your kid will get sick. Work gets nuts. You’ll get hurt. What do you do then?
1. Be kind to yourself. If you’ve had a setback, one of the most important things you can do is give yourself a break. Things happen that are out of our control sometimes. Maybe we just made a mistake. That’s OK. I know that little voice inside your head may have a different idea about things, but that little voice can be a real jerk sometimes! If something is going on, give yourself a break, deal with it, get back to your life as quickly as possible, and don’t look back. As usual, Shakespeare said it best, "Things without all remedy should be without regard: what's done is done." (I hope your setback wasn’t killing the king of Scotland.)
2. DON’T PANIC!! Injuries are a common setback; oftentimes, the reaction to one is more damaging than the injury itself. I’ve seen people fear reinjury to such an extent that they neglect the exact work that’ll help prevent one. Approach injuries with curiosity and let discomfort and pain be your guide. If something hurts, don’t do it, but try to figure out why it hurts. You may be surprised how often the answer is a correctable movement pattern, not an actual injury.
3. Develop a routine. If you remember only one thing about this article, remember this: Habits win. The best way to overcome a setback is to start BEFORE they even happen. Develop a routine and stick to it and you may not even realize there’s even been one.
4. Talk to someone. Sometimes we just don’t know how to deal with a particular setback, and that’s OK. We can’t know everything. Talk to someone who can help, whether it’s a therapist, trainer, doctor, physical therapist, or your Aunt Minnie. (Aunt Minnie will tell it like it is, so be careful!)
I know this is a very difficult topic to address. Setbacks come in all shapes and sizes, from very serious to mildly inconvenient and it’s impossible to put all that in one basket. Just know that you’ve suffered setbacks before and gotten through them. You can do it again.
