KAWARTHA LAKES-To an athlete or active individual, getting injured is probably the most dreaded thing that can happen. 
Injuries mean getting sidelined from our favourite sports and activities, it means possible long recovery times, and for some, it might even mean giving up what you love.
As a former competitive runner, I know what it’s like to be sidelined from my sport and even be forced to give it up. After far too many painful races, I had to put away my running shoes and trade them in for more low-impact activities. To be honest, it was a blessing, but it didn’t seem that way at first.
Coping with the stress of an injury requires both physical and psychological resilience. Today, we’re talking about how to cope with an injury whether it’s major or minor, and what you can do to bounce back even stronger.
1)Educate Yourself

When injured, it’s easy to pass over all your control to someone else. While it is important to seek help from a professional, it’s also a good idea to learn everything you can about your specific condition. Education is power and will help you to understand your body and how it works, which is beneficial for preventing further injury or future injuries. Look for a credible resource online and figure out everything you need to know about the anatomy and biomechanics of your body. This will also help you to better identify and explain your injury to a Physiotherapist, Surgeon, or health care professional.
2)Find the Silver Lining
When we are forced to sit out of our favourite sports, it’s hard to stay positive. When I was a runner, it was my identity. So if I couldn’t compete, I’d get depressed and feel out-of-sorts. 
Stay committed to getting better and healing yourself and surround yourself with other positive people. Coaches, teammates, friends, and family are all there to help and support you when you are experiencing pain or frustration. 
Find activities you enjoy outside of your sport and distract yourself with those while you heal. Especially when a big chunk of your time was dedicated to training, it might be difficult to fill the gaps, so enlist your support team to have fun with you while you go through your healing process. Remember: staying positive and keeping a sunny disposition is not only good for your mind, but for your body as well. SO create a positive environment that supports healing and you’ll be better in no time.
3)Realize Your Body is Your Home


While no one chooses to be injured or in pain, sometimes we have to accept responsibility for potentially neglecting the warning signs our body gave us prior to injury. Especially in the case of chronic pain and injuries, our body likely gave us a few whispers or nudges of pain before we became full-blown injured. 
Your body is your home for life-you only get one. So respect it and take good care of it! The most amazing wisdom comes from listening to your body and learning how to line yourself up better, take better care of yourself, and move more mindfully. 
That’s why I look back on all my injuries as a blessing in disguise because before having chronic pain, I didn’t ever take responsibility for caring for my body. I would train and train and never rest, I’d never fuel properly, I wouldn’t cross train or stretch. These are all things that injuries can teach you. You never know, maybe you think you won’t like lower impact activities like yoga and Pilates, but until you try, you’ll never know!
Treat your body like a temple and it will give you a pain free home for life! If you are currently experiencing an injury and looking for guidance of how to transition back into gentle movement safely, visit my website at www.sweathappywellness.com to book a private session or try a reformer Pilates class. I am happy to help you get back to feeling your best!
Becky Sheehey is a Holistic Health Coach, and a Pilates and Movement Expert with a background in Kinesiology. She lives in Lindsay.