Injuries are part of life. Sometimes forced by exploring new limits, sometimes happening by accident. Some injuries can be prevented, some simply cannot. I cannot answer you the question why injuries are happening, but I can tell you: How to come back stronger.

In December, I had an accident and dislocated my shoulder. The outcome: Surgery, hospital, a sling and – the hardest thing to accept – 2-3 months no physical activity. So in my case no teaching any group fitness classes. How did I fell? I was pissed! The pain was strong, but the depressing feeling was stronger. Having something taken away from you, the thing you live for, is never easy. Why me? Why now? Why so f*%king… long? Questions bothering all of us in such situations. There are no answers, but there is a way to respond.

The challenge is not having to deal with the pain and the physical inabilities, it is having to deal with the mental condition you are in. I had all the negative aspects driving me nuts – no work, losing my shape, losing muscle, no place to let out all my energy, no physical challenges… I was totally stressed! That stress causes even more problems. To stop that vicious cycle you have to take a decision: Let your thoughts eat you alive or reset your mind. I decided to shut down my brain for a few days and forget about everything around me. Those days helped me to refocus and see this as a challenge and chance to build something new. Set new goals and find other activities. This is a setback, but it’s not a defeat. It’s an opportunity to invest your time in something else. Set yourself rules, which force you to change your daily routine. For example, I decided to get up every morning around 8 am and study for 2-3 hours. Another rule was to go for a one hour walk after lunch. You need to structure your daily routine and give yourself tasks to do. Fulfilling task gives you a satisfying feeling, which leads to a happy mood. The same with achieving goals. Your level of Endorphins rises and as a result your mood goes up.

It’s not going to be easy! I still have days when my thoughts are stronger than me and I give up for a few moments. In those situations you have to be your own coach and find your motivation again. I wrote down some strong words on post-its and pasted them all over my place. For example: Smile, fight, you can, stronger, up, limitless, brave… Another thing you should do is let people help you, because together you are stronger. I have friends texting me some motivating words from time to time. Let your tribe know you need some motivating text messages and you will see…. they will be there to support you.

Accept, decide, apply rules, set goals, get support, achieve and never stop smiling!

“I decided to rise stronger, never stop smiling and coming back soon!” 

P.S.: Fabian is back in action, teaching Velobourn, from April 15 on and you can find his schedule here.