Hi all,
As a student athlete, sports have been a major part of my identity and experience at Wellesley and even before. However, setbacks are a part of life, even for student athletes. While minor injuries can be frustrating setbacks, they don’t have to derail your progress. Here’s how to stay positive and make the most of your recovery time even when it feels like a hard time:
- Embrace Rest: Rest isn’t just a pause—it’s essential for healing. Injured muscles, tendons, and ligaments need downtime to rebuild and strengthen. Rather than seeing rest as inactivity, think of it as a key phase in your training cycle. This has been challenging for me to think of this way, but the shift in mindset has allowed me to give myself and my body grace. Use this time to slow down, catch up on favorite hobbies, and enjoy the weather. Sitting outside, soaking in some sun, or simply going for a gentle walk can do wonders for both your mood and recovery.
- Stay Active Safely: If approved by a doctor, try gentle exercises like swimming, upper-body strength training, or stretching. Moving safely keeps you fit, maintains muscle memory, and helps you feel positive and productive. I am always trying to think of new ways to stay active aside from my usual routine of running and lacrosse so this has been a chance for me to branch out and explore other forms of exercise.
- Build Mental Resilience: Set small, achievable goals like improved flexibility or mental focus. Visualize your comeback and focus on gratitude for the progress you’re making, no matter how small. The mental resilience you build now will strengthen you on and off the field even in times of facing roadblocks.
- Focus on Mobility: Recovery time is perfect for improving flexibility and mobility. Gentle stretching, foam rolling, and bodyweight movements prevent stiffness and boost recovery, ultimately making you less injury-prone in the future. I have been focusing heavily on flexibility and mobility and setting achievable goals like stretching and foam rolling to keep myself healthy.
- Study Your Sport: Watch games, learn new techniques, and build up your strategic understanding so that you’re mentally prepared to jump back in. I love to watch past game films of my own team’s but also watch other teams like Division 1 schools to see if there is anything I can implement in my own game.
Remember, minor injuries are just a small part of the journey. Rest, enjoy the fresh air, and stay engaged with what you can control. Your comeback will be stronger for it!
Until next week,
Anna Tutek