In the quest for a healthier and more active lifestyle, going to the gym becomes an integral part of many individuals' routines. But as with any journey, the path to achieving fitness goals is not always smooth. The reality is that working out is not a linear progression. We've all heard that showing up is half the battle and although there is truth to that, the path after showing up isn't as easy. If it were as easy as just showing up and going through the motions, everybody would be jacked and "fit." Although the body is highly adaptable and resilient, it is prone to physical and mental setbacks that can interfere with progress. Whether it's burnout, injuries or watching your progress plateau, you are inevitably going to regularly face all three setbacks throughout your journey and lifestyle on the pursuit to and maintenance of an active and healthier lifestyle.
BURNOUT
Burnout, both physical and mental, is a common setback experienced by many gym-goers, even the veterans who have been doing it for decades. I cannot stress enough that, even with a whole team of professionals (trainers, nutritionists, physical therapists, etc.) behind you, nobody can advocate for your body better than you. Learn to listen to your body when you're tired versus not in a good place to be working out. Structured rest days and deloads should be incorporated into everybody's programming from the new gym goer to professional athlete. Deloads are a predefined part of an exercise program, occurring around every 3-6 weeks, that reduces overall work volume by 30-50%. These deloads and rest days give our bodies a chance to adapt/recover from all of the stress its been under. Remember that workouts themselves physically break our bodies down and that we actually make most physiological progress through recovery post-workout. Rather than just sitting on the couch to recover, try going for a walk outside in a new neighborhood or city. A change in scenery can do wonders for you. Additionally, diversifying your workouts and adding cross-training can help prevent boredom and keep motivation levels high. For example, if you're a runner, you could try incorporating more strength training, whether it be in the traditional gym sense or boxing. Besides the mental break, cross- training can be highly beneficial for increasing overall fitness and reducing injury risk in athletes.
Pushing too hard and long without adequate recovery or structured deloading can lead to exhaustion, decreased motivation, and eventually injury.
INJURIES
Whether it's a sprained ankle, muscle strain, or something more severe like torn ACL... injuries are an unfortunate reality of any physical activity. Not only are they physically painful, but they take a huge toll on your mental health. The stress of watching all your hard work seemingly slip away and completely derail your progress is not an easy path to come back from. The timeframe of coming back from injury completely depends on so many things from severity of the injury to the individual themselves, but either way it is so important to begin the rehab process as soon as you are cleared to do so.
Start with a referral to a physical therapist/surgeon ideally through your own circle who have had positive first hand experience. It's important to remember that setbacks due to injuries are temporary. Refrain from the negative thinking about how or why it happened. Rather, reframe your thinking and shift your priorities to your new training. Rehab.
Yes, rehab is absolutely training just on the other side of the spectrum. Rehab is not easy, is painful and definitely not linear in terms of progression. It does give you an opportunity to learn new skills, learn more about your body and give you a perspective/appreciation for the times you may have been complaining about just being active before you were injured. The goal of rehab is not just to get you back to where you were at the time of the injury, but should be to make you stronger, so it is less likely to happen again. Take your time, rehab your injury the right way, with the right people, with the right mindset and you'll be back stronger than ever before you know it.
Stay tuned for the second part to this blog that covers plateauing!
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