Is it really possible to come back stronger after an injury?
Some of you may have heard about how I got into coaching, many think its because I love sport and competing, which yes that is a big reason.
Another is because I wanted a job where I could wear a trainers all day!
But what really got me heading down the coaching route was from getting injured.
I was mad about football, I played to a really high standard both with my Club and University but I had its impact on me. Years of playing on frozen pitches, over training and lack of strength work on the correct areas and o course being own the end of some dodgy tackles meant I was getting severe pain in my back and legs.
I came off the pitch on a very cold day feeling like I couldn't walk. Every step I took felt like I had dagger going down my legs.
Panicked, worried and scared I had MRI scans done and underwent a course of physio we found that two of the discs in my back had started to degenerate, which meant the spongy layers providing the cushion between my bones had disappeared. No wonder I was in so much pain.
The consultant I saw, gave me injections but for me they didn't really help and I was still in limbo as to whether I would play again.
After a lot of hard work with the physio I was beginning to get pain free and this was great, but I knew if I couldn't compete where I was, I didn't want anything to do with football. So I spent a year in Australia, surfing, climbing, hiking, sky diving, white water rafting.....you name it we did it.
Of course when I came back I thought no problem I can play again, Ive been doing all this stuff away, I'll be fine.
Oh how wrong I was.
1 game in and the pain I experienced before started to creep back in.
I knew I needed to change, I had already done my Coaching training and I started my Personal Training Course, knowing if I couldn't play or be involved myself I wanted to coach people who were.
This was a hard transition, but it meant I could provide the training and programmes to help people as i've been in that position of having a serious injury and wondering what's next.
Now because of how competitive I am, stepping onto a football pitch isn't going to happen as even if I tell myself to take it easy I never do.
That's where I got into Obstacle Racing, the friendly atmosphere, everybody helping each other and you're only really competing against yourself and the challenge of the Obstacles, I found this a real rush.
Now a good few years later, I'm still having regular sports massages with James at Adjust Massage, I'm looking into the way I move with my bio mechanics sessions with Tiff at Ridefit Academy and I'm still seeing progress.
So if you feel like you're stuck in a rut and constantly frustrated about injuries, or even worried they may creep back in take your time and find somebody to help you.
A great tip is to look back on what you have achieved already from your initial injury point happening. The road is always a slow one back to full strength but those little steps soon add up and you'll find you're doing something this week that you weren't doing last week.
Gemma 'looking forwards' Spackman
PS - If you're suffering from an injury at the moment, drop me a message and let me know what it is and what you've done so far to make it better.
