Dealing With Injuries 

By Steve McCain

2000 Olympian & 4-time World Team Member

Unfortunately injuries are always going to be a part of gymnastics. Learning to cope with them can be a challenging and frustrating event in a gymnast's career. I have never known an elite gymnast who has not had to overcome a major injury. Sometimes an injury can teach a gymnast a lot about his or her body, while creating a more seasoned and mature athlete. Below are some of my beliefs on preventing, dealing, and working with injuries.

Preventing Injuries:

Even though there are many ways to reduce the probability of injuries, there is never any way to prevent them entirely. Here are some preventative measures for staying off the injured list.

A proper warm-up is probably the best way to prevent injury. It is very easy to pull or tear a muscle if it is not warm and stretched. Always start workouts wearing sweats or warm-ups. Make sure to constantly move during warm-up; it's not the time to chat with your friends.

Be honest about informing coaches of pain. Coaches are powerful authority figures in athlete's lives, but don't be psychologically intimidated by your true feelings. It is good to be tough, but don't over-do it.

Always follow a prevention plan to maintain strength around chronic injury areas. Even if you think your injury is healed, you still may be prone to further injury in that area. Sometimes injured ligaments and tendons never fully regain their elasticity, so you must keep those areas strong.

Overcoming Psychological Barriers:

Sometimes the psychological recovery is the hardest part of the injury process. It is common for a gymnast to experience fear of failure or future injury after returning to workouts.

• Do not forget the importance of basics. Always resume training at a slow and methodical pace&emdash;building confidence one step at a time.
• While injured, do mental imagery of skills to maintain mental concepts. The benefits of mental imagery have been proven time and time again.
• Remember that injuries take time to heal and overcome. You may not see the progress while it occurs.
• Know that overcoming an injury builds strength, maturity, and character.
• If you are willing to train at the highest level of competition, then be aware of the increased risk of injury and don't be surprised or hard on yourself if it does occur.

Maintain Progress:

The key to recovering from injuries, is realizing that they are minor set backs in the big picture. Injuries can be a good opportunity to work on those areas that have been neglected. For example, I have known many athletes who were injured and came back stronger than before because they worked on problem areas that consistently plagued them.

Take advantage of the time to work on other areas of weakness. For example, if you have an injured wrist, you can work on flexibility, mid-section and lower body strength, and flipping and twisting on trampoline. If you have an injured ankle, you can work on upper body strength, flexibility, and straightening that crooked handstand.

Borrow some gymnastics tapes from the coach to study technique and gain motivation. (I recommend: The 1984 Olympic Men's Team Finals and the 1996 Olympic Women's Team Finals).

Make sure you are giving yourself the proper nutrition for recovery. Consult a qualified nutritionist for a diet that is customized to your individual needs.

Mental Attitudes that cause Over-Use Injuries:

These are some mental attitudes to stay away from. It is your responsibility to recognize the signs of these pitfalls before it's too late.

• Pushing yourself to the limit; excessive competition with self or others.
• Addiction to routine without regard to conditions such as hunger, illness, injury, or sheer fatigue.
• Putting unrealistic demands on yourself such as training when fatigued or ill, or returning to your regimen before an injury has had proper time to heal.
• Using your sport as the only focal point in your life (getting your emotional needs met from only one source).

I hope these ideas are helpful and informative. Keep these points in mind and hopefully they can help you overcome any obstacles you encounter. Best of luck in your training!

Article Provided by American Gymnast