Injuries: We’ve All Been There
Injuries. We’ve all had them. They are a pain, both literally and figuratively. They can prevent us from doing the most mundane tasks with ease; from loading the dishwasher, picking up your children, or even getting in and out of the car.
Sometimes, the most irritating thing is that we don’t even injure ourselves doing the flashy stuff, although we almost wish we did. Because admitting that you threw your back out picking up your laundry basket feels pathetic.
But the reality is that it doesn’t matter how we injure ourselves. It’s what we do from that moment on that will set the tone for our recovery.
Today, this blog post about working out while injured is a bit personal.
My name is Lauren, and today I’m the person behind the words. I’m one of the coaches at CrossFit Creed, and I’ve had chronic back pain since August 2024, with on-and-off back injuries dating back to 2021.
This story does not have a fairytale ending. But hopefully, what I’ve gone through will help others who find themselves in the same place as me feel like the barrier to movement isn’t as impossible as it feels.
When Rest Isn’t the Answer
I can’t speak for everyone, but when I first injured myself and realized I couldn’t simply sleep it off and rest for a few days like I could when I was 19, all I could see was my progress slipping through my fingers.
The first time you injure yourself, you take all the right steps.
RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation). See a physiotherapist. Cold pools. Red light therapy. Saunas. Stretch more than you’ve ever stretched in your life.
You see small improvements, and you feel like you’re getting back to your normal self. You see the value in slowing down, lowering the weights, moving more intentionally, and maybe adding an extra rest day.
Then you start to feel better.
And you get a little bit cocky.
You ramp things up again and feel good for a while… until you find yourself right back where you started.
I have been through this cycle more times than I’d like to admit.
This isn’t a fear tactic meant to scare people. It’s more of a moment for you to reflect.
When I was stuck in this cycle, I was only looking a few moves ahead, not at the big picture. If someone had sat me down and asked me what the goal of all this was, what would my answer have been?
I can’t speak for 25-year-old Lauren, but 29-year-old Lauren knows that she wants to move as much as possible for as long as possible…and to do it pain-free.
We’re not there yet.
But we’re on the path.
Finding What You Can Do
Every injury impacts us differently.
If it’s a foot injury, maybe we can’t bear weight evenly, if at all. If it’s a back injury, maybe we can’t bend over or pick things up.
You get the idea.
It’s really easy to focus on all the things we can’t do when, in reality, there are so many possibilities. We may just need to think outside the box - or have someone help us do so.
After an injury, your nervous system can become more sensitive, so our instinct is often to stop doing whatever creates pain. In some circumstances, we may be advised to cease exercise entirely for a period of time, and if that’s the case, listen to your physician or healthcare professional.
But in many cases, pain with movement doesn’t necessarily mean that you are causing more damage.
Getting back into things may mean starting small and thinking of five to ten things that you know you can do comfortably. Maybe that turns into twelve, then sixteen, and so on.
What’s important is that we are mindful of how much pain we’re experiencing while completing these movements and that we listen to our bodies and the guidance of our healthcare professionals.
Pain is real, but it doesn’t always equal ongoing damage.
What we want to avoid is restricting movement entirely when movement is safe and appropriate for us. Your body is strong. It’s designed to move. Sometimes, the hardest part is simply figuring out where to start again.
The Mental Battle
I myself am a competitive human being by nature.
Up until a few years ago, I was used to being the girl in the class who could lift a lot of weight and do the workout pretty dang fast as prescribed.
To go from that to barely being able to pick up five pounds off the floor was a huge mind f**k.
I was afraid that everyone was looking at me differently. That I was washed up. That I wasn’t good anymore.
I felt like (and sometimes still feel like) an imposter standing at the front of the room, instructing people to do something that I couldn’t - and in many cases, still can’t do.
But the reality is that they don’t care.
And they don’t think about it nearly as much as I do.
What they really see is someone trying their hardest to get through an exceptionally hard time in her life.
And if you are someone who thinks the same way I do, I promise you: people see the good.
Just Show the Heck Up
Connecting this to our life within the walls of CrossFit Creed: we always have a WOD of the day, and it’s really easy to look at a workout and think:
“I’m injured and can’t do any of those movements. There’s no point in going to class. I don’t want to make things complicated or have people think I suck.”
Speaking from experience:
MAKE THINGS “COMPLICATED” AND JUST SHOW THE HECK UP.
Walk in and tell your coach what’s going on.
It’s their job to help you, and they want to help you.
There is almost always a way to modify, substitute, scale, or adapt something so that you can still participate safely and appropriately.
And sometimes, simply being there is the win. I can’t count the number of times I felt like I didn’t have it in me mentally to show up, but I did anyway. Did I feel like a million bucks after? NO. BUT, I felt better and more accomplished than I would have sitting on my couch. Which is a hell of a lot better than moping at home.
Mourning the Old Version of Yourself
The physical pain you feel can manifest mentally as well. I am someone who is exceptionally motivated by exercise. I love seeing progress and chasing the next PR.
Using my circumstance as an example, I will likely never chase the same numbers I used to chase. Not because I may not get better, but because that’s not the goal anymore. The risk versus the few hours of bliss after PRing my lift isn’t worth it in my eyes anymore.
So there is a part of me that has found herself mourning the version of myself who was able to do those things. And that is a completely normal feeling.
It can create mental setbacks, leaving you feeling unmotivated, frustrated, or unworthy.
Something I try to remind myself of every day is that movement is a gift and one that we will regret taking for granted if we don’t appreciate it while we can.
Find the Beauty in Rebuilding
For those of you who find yourself going through this, I encourage you to find the beauty in the rebuilding phase.
For me, this injury has made me a better coach and a more compassionate human being. I’ve become more creative in the way that I approach fitness, and I give myself way more grace.
Your injury, big or small, is a phase in your life. It may not be what you hoped for. It may not be fair. And it may last longer than you ever expected. But if you approach it with a negative mindset alone, it only makes things harder.
You are still an athlete.
You are still capable.
You are still making progress.
It might just look different than it used to.
Move More, Fear Less
What I hope you take away from this today is that it’s okay to experience an injury.
It’s okay to ask for help.
It’s okay to be frustrated.
It’s okay to mourn the things you used to be able to do.
But don’t let fear take over.
Find what you can do. Start there. Then build from it.
Move more. Fear less. Your body will thank you.
— Coach Lauren