What These Two Stories Tell Us About Injury & Recovery

Hi everyone,

Over the last couple of newsletters, I shared two client stories:

·       One completing the London Marathon despite injury setbacks

·       Another returning to rugby after being told they might miss the rest of the seaso

Different people. Different injuries. Different goals. I hope you enjoyed learning of their successes. 

But the really interesting part?

The same key principles showed up in both.

1. It wasn’t about being perfect

Neither of them had a perfect, pain-free build-up.

There were setbacks.
There were uncertain moments.

But instead of waiting for everything to feel “just right”, they worked with what was there.

Progress doesn’t require perfection — it requires direction.

2. They stayed consistent

This is the big one.

They didn’t:

·       Stop completely at the first sign of pain

·       Jump between random exercises

·       Chase quick fixes

They followed a plan, adjusted when needed, and kept moving forward.

Consistency beats intensity every time.

3. They built confidence, not just strength

Yes, we worked on movement and strength.

But just as importantly, we rebuilt trust in their bodies.

·       Movements felt safer; mot often the brain will allow an increased range of movement before pain levels subside as it is assessing how much “threat” is still there before inhibiting pain signals

·       Load felt more manageable

·       The fear around injury started to reduce

That’s often the turning point in recovery.

4. They didn’t panic

Injuries close to an event — or during a season — can feel like everything is falling apart.

But both approached it with a level head.

They focused on:

·       What they could do

·       What was improving

·       The next step, not the worst-case scenario

That mindset makes a huge difference.

5. They took ownership

Treatment plays a role — but it’s only part of the picture.

Both of them:

·       Put the work in outside of clinic

·       Stayed engaged in the process

·       Took responsibility for their recovery

That’s where real results come from.

The takeaway

If you’re dealing with an injury right now, ask yourself:

·       Am I waiting for things to feel perfect before I act?

·       Am I being consistent with the right things?

·       Do I actually have a clear plan?

Because often, progress isn’t about doing more.

It’s about doing the right things — consistently.

If you’ve got something that’s holding you back, whether it’s sport, training, or just day-to-day life, there is usually a way forward.

Sometimes it just takes a bit of guidance and a clear plan.

If you’d like help with that, I’d be happy to support you.

Until next time,

Tom