Whether you play competitively or just for fun, being involved in a sport is a great way to stay active, make friends and de-stress.

There’s a sporting activity out there for everyone, from individual to team sports, the leisurely to the strenuous. When committed to a sport, it becomes an integral part of your week. Something you look forward to, something you would hate to miss.

However, the unfortunate risk of any sport is physical injury. Depending on the sport, the risk of physical injury can range from minor to significant. An injury can derail your sporting commitments can see you side-lined for anything from a couple of days to a couple of months – but there is a way back.

If you have been dealt an injury blow, here are our top tips for getting through it and getting back to your sport.

  1. Take your time

Most important of all is to take the appropriate amount of time to rest and not exert too much pressure on your injury. Yet, this is often where so many people go wrong. In a desperate desire to get back to being active and playing their sport, they return to full activity too soon.

The result is that they injure themselves again, perhaps even more significantly and face an even longer spell out on the side-lines. If your doctor says light activity only for 6 to 8 weeks, take the 6  to 8 weeks off. It will pay off in the long run.

  1. Consult a physical therapist

Don’t self-diagnose or underestimate the extent of any injury. If you have been injured, it is highly advised to visit a physical therapist. A physical therapist will be best placed to fully assess the injury and advise on the rehabilitation exercises to do and program to follow.

No two injuries are alike nor are two patients alike so you need to be professionally assessed to determine the right treatment path for you and your needs. If you are serious about returning to the field of play in full health or getting back to performing your best, physical therapy will prove an essential component in the journey to getting you there.

  1. Keep a positive, active mind

When dealing with a sporting injury, one can experience on their mental health too. Injury has not only a physical by psychological impact. After all, a key reason for our playing sports and exercising is its impact on our mental wellbeing.

With this removed, you will need to immediately seek out other ways to keep a positive, active mind while you recover from injury. Now is a great time to explore mindfulness, take up reading and engage in self-talk. Remaining social is important too so don’t shut yourself away from talking and meeting with friends and family. Keeping a positive, active mind will make your recovery and ultimate return from sporting injury a faster journey.

Injury is not the end to your sporting indulgence. Take your time, recover properly and soon you will be back doing and playing the sport you love – with a stronger determination and mindset than ever!