Introduction
Hi everyone! My name is Kate Knifton, I’m a myrow coach and 2024 Team USA Olympian. Today, I want to talk about something many athletes and fitness enthusiasts face at some point: coming back from an injury. Injuries can feel like a major setback, disrupting your progress and throwing off your routine. Over the course of my athletic career, I’ve dealt with significant injuries, and while they’re frustrating, they’ve also taught me valuable lessons. Here are three key strategies I’ve used to overcome injury setbacks and stay on track toward my goals.
1. Strengthen Your Mental Game
Injuries can sideline your physical activity, but they offer a unique opportunity to work on your mental game—a component that’s often just as important as the physical. Visualization is one of my favorite techniques. I spend time imagining myself rowing with perfect form, emphasizing key points in the stroke that I know need improvement. This mental practice sharpens your technique and keeps you engaged with your goals even when you’re off the water.
Another great mental exercise is watching others with exceptional form. The myrow coaches are great examples, and their technique on the erg can serve as a visualization blueprint. Even when you might be taking a break from rowing, watching and learning keeps you connected to the sport and focused on your return.
2. Build Strength in Supporting Muscles
Injuries often result from or highlight weaknesses in the smaller, stabilizing muscles we tend to overlook. This downtime is a great opportunity to focus on those areas and come back stronger.
One way I’ve done this is by incorporating myrow’s Pilates classes into my routine. These instructor-led sessions add variety to my workouts and target muscles that improve stability and injury prevention. Strengthening these smaller muscle groups not only aids recovery but also enhances performance when you return to your sport.
3. Prioritize Flexibility and Mobility
Recovery isn’t just about building strength - it’s also about restoring and improving flexibility. Whether you’re actively training or easing back into movement, Pilates, stretching, and core-centric classes are a fantastic way to improve mobility, reduce stiffness, and prevent future injuries.
Personally, I make it a point to incorporate these practices into my routine at least once a week. It’s my go-to activity on rest days, and it’s been instrumental in my recovery process after injuries. A more flexible & mobile body is a more resilient body, and Pilates and stretching can help you return to your sport with greater ease, stronger core and improved range of motion.
Final thought: Using setbacks as opportunities
Injuries can be challenging, but they’re also an opportunity to grow mentally and physically. By focusing on visualization, strengthening smaller muscles, and improving flexibility & stability, you can turn this setback into a setup for an even stronger comeback.
Tools like myrow’s instructor-led Pilates classes and guided stretching are invaluable for recovery, injury prevention, and maintaining variety in your fitness routine. Remember, setbacks don’t define you - your response to them does. Stay positive, stay focused, and keep working toward your goals!
