Injuries = Opportunity?
I had a good discussion the other day with a friend regarding his son and how his season was going. He was injured…broken arm…obviously he’s disappointed and down mentally as he is unable to play the game he loves.
Because injuries mean you have to stop playing your sport however, does not mean you have to stop development all together. Development as an athlete is possible in many different areas, and while an injury may prevent you from participating in your sport fully, it also opens up time to dedicate toward development in other aspects. Development should never stop altogether…
Let’s use the broken arm as an example…you cannot hold a hockey stick and compete in practice fully with a broken arm. Can you go to the gym and work on your lower body strength and power…absolutely! And because you aren't on the ice practicing or playing at the moment - you can actually push a little bit harder than you might not typically do in season. I have many examples of times where an athlete returns to play from an injury in better shape than they were in prior to the injury. Besides the physical benefit of training through an injury, the mental benefits of training are equally as important. This example was an easy one, the same applies to all types of injuries…rolled ankles, tweaked shoulders, sprains and strains of muscles or joints, yes even concussions too.
Should you be concerned about training through an injury? Potentially...there are times when you may need to rest fully and allow tissues to heal, but generally speaking, movement is going to be better than not. Find a good professional strength and conditioning coach (like our team here at Zeal and we will talk to your practitioner if we need to) to help guide you through your injury and return to play. Because the last thing you want to do is return to sport deconditioned and end up being injured again or just have poor performances...
All the best, please reach out if you need help with your strength and conditioning!
Doug and the Zeal Sports Performance team.