Learn tips from Caroline Jordan to stay fit, stay positive and heal quicker after an injury.

If you are recovering from an injury, you are not alone. A few months ago, I injured my rotator cuff by pushing through a fast-paced workout video at home. Instead of resting my shoulder and adapting my lifestyle, I continued my standard exercise routine — and the pain got worse.

Following the advice of my fitness coach Caroline Jordan, I visited Dr. Allen at SDRI and began the long journey to heal my shoulder. I worked with Caroline to strengthen my shoulder and Dr. Allen to break up scar tissue and increase blood flow to the injured area. I modified my yoga practice by learning safe movements, leaned on my support system to stay positive and used my injury as an opportunity to encourage my students to listen to their bodies.

Healing an injury can be frustrating and take time — sometimes it feels like taking two steps forward and one step back. It can be isolating if you can no longer do the activities you used to enjoy. And it can be tempting to compare yourself to others (I’ve personally spent too much time doom scrolling when I’m injured).

The good news is that there are strategies you can use to stay positive and recover faster (both mentally and physically). Caroline and I sat down to discuss our top tips for injury recovery.

You can read more about the five tips below.

1. Acceptance

• It’s important to accept you have an injury and understand that the recovery process isn’t always a linear journey
• Pushing through an injury could prevent it from healing or make it worse. Listen to your body when it needs rest

2. Vulnerability

• Vulnerability takes courage. Being open about what you are going through can help both yourself and others as you share knowledge and motivate each other
• Tell your workout buddies, fitness coach and yoga instructor about what you are experiencing so you can learn modifications that allow you to heal safely

3. Getting Support

• Get support from your fitness team (including your physical therapist, doctor and chiropractor) and lean on your friends and family for positivity
• Connect with others authentically and develop new relationships

4. New Opportunities

• Learn how strong your mind and body can be. Strengthen areas that may have otherwise been neglected
• Develop a new skill and be open to opportunities

5. Strengthen Your Mental Fitness

• Do mental push-ups: learn to stay positive and strengthen your mental fortitude
• Practice deep breathing techniques (like box breathing in the video) to shift your energy, reconnect and reduce stress. Journaling and therapy can also help relieve anxiety

Sharing my story with Caroline and hearing her story strengthened our friendship and made me realize that everyone experiences uphill battles. Lean on your friends, family and coaches. And remember, if you can breathe, you can make it through anything.

You can listen to an extended discussion about our healing journey below.

I’d love to hear about your experience and if these tips were helpful in the comments. Don’t forget to share these tips with your community to grow stronger together.

In healing and strength,
Shannon