"The Comeback Chronicles: How to Return to Training as a Former Athlete"
I’ll just go ahead and get this out the way. Even though you don’t compete at school or professionally any more, you’re still an athlete! Whether you’re looking to get back in shape, or eying a league you want to play in, getting back into training could be a challenging but rewarding experience.
Ok, so what’s the plan to get back out there?
Most sources will talk about how you need to take it slow, set realistic goals, or listen to your body (which is all true) but it doesn’t tell the full story. You’re leaving out one of the most important pieces, the psychosocial factors and how they can affect your ability to return to play.
First, let's talk about what psychosocial factors are. These are factors that involve both psychological and social aspects of an individual's life. Psychological factors can include mental health, self-esteem, motivation, and attitude. Social factors can include family support, peer support, and environmental factors.
Here are some important points to keep in mind:
Motivation: Motivation is KEY when it comes to returning to play. If you lack motivation, it can be difficult to get back into your routine. It’s not just about realistic goals but about important ones! Give yourself a real reason to want to get back at it. Win a championship with your friends in a rec league, get back in shape to train your nephew’s sports team, be able to keep up with your growing kids, whatever it is that will light that fire, find it.
Attitude: A positive attitude can help you stay motivated and keep you focused on your goals. Now this sounds like some cliché ish but there is literal research to prove it. For example, from a Physical Therapy perspective one of the biggest factors in whether someone can return from injury is whether they believe they will or not! I’ve seen it with my own eyes!
Support: Having a support system in place can make a huge difference when it comes to returning to play. Iron sharpens iron for sure, surround yourself with people who will encourage and support you on your fitness journey. And I know you know someone who posts workout stuff on IG, we all do, cut it out and go hit them up.
Mental Health: Mental health is just as important as physical health. The things that you did that put you into that happy place back in your playing days, repeat or remix them to fit your present day. Know that stresses elsewhere will impact your experience of pain or discomfort while trying to get back in the gym. If you have a day where you’re hurting more than usual or just can’t muster the energy because you’re on 2 hours of sleep, feel free to take a day. Coach isn’t going to cut you.
Environmental factors: Access to training facilities and equipment, as well as time constraints, play a big role! Make a weekly plan so you know WHERE and WHEN you can workout. Decide WHO will be accompanying you when you need a push or you can just fall back on your WHY and go solo. As for the HOW, well you can leave that up to RockTheDoc!
Of course you should have a workout plan that eases you back in, but also minimizes the risk of injury as you get back into form. That’s the simple part, feel free to contact me if you need one!
