If you're a human being living on planet Earth and you exercise for any length of time, there will come a day when things go Horribly Wrong.
This Horrible Wrongness usually stems from a non-life-threatening event, but most commonly involves:
- An injury
- An illness
- An unexpected, unforeseen change in schedule ("Surprise! My Mother-In-Law is coming to visit for an entire month!")
- A known quantity that always railroads you no matter how much you prepare (the holidays, a vacation, your annual visit with an old college buddy who still acts like he's in college, etc.)
The biggest problem, however, often isn't the Horrible Wrongness itself, but our response to it. The most common and debilitating reaction is frustration. As in "I was finally getting back to my workouts/seeing results/not hating my workout routine when I caught a cold/injured myself/agreed to host the annual office holiday party and ended up quitting/skipping too many workouts/completely off track."
I find that most advice is useless in this situation, but there are two things you can do to get through almost any Horrible Wrongness:
- Don't Give Up - This sounds a little cheesy, but promising yourself that you won't stop exercising, even if all you can manage is five minutes of focused exercise, can help you at least keep your workouts somewhere in your life. Maybe they aren't your first priority, but they're still a priority.
- Find a Way to Move Forward - Horrible Wrongness can be like a brick wall, making it difficult to get back on track. The important thing to remember is that there is always a way to move forward. Maybe moving forward means working the parts of your body that aren't injured or lightening up on exercise until your cold is gone. Maybe moving forward is walking the stairs at work on your lunch break if you can't make it to the gym. Even if you can only move a millimeter at a time, you're keeping that forward motion.
What do you think? Has Horrible Wrongness derailed you from your workouts? How did you bounce back? Leave a comment and tell us about your experiences.
Good advice. I recently injured the big knuckle on my right hand which derailed my workouts and sports. I made a splint for it from aluminum and velcro tape which seems to be protecting it from further injury. The alternative was stop using my right hand which really curtailed a lot of activities. Now I only hope this proves to be the case and it heals more quickly without re-injuring it.
One beautiful spring day I went out to go for a walk at lunch and got hit by a car. I was completely unable to walk and spent the next 7+ weeks in a wheelchair. My saving grace was when my exercise bike was brought up out of the basement so that I could use it as directed by my Dr. to lossen up my knee that had been immobilized for 3 weeks.
I used to hate riding the bike and much preferred my treadmill. But the rest of my recovery time that bike became my lifeline to the fitness routine that I had prior to the accident. And as a result of using it prior to starting PT, my PT went much better and my recovery was better.
I still prefer my treadmill, but the bike gets used a lot more now.
When things can and do go wrong. It is time to evaluate the situation(s)and make new plans. These “horribly wrong” events can be your catalyst for positive change or your excuse to give up. You get to decide. My life and many of my goals, including fitness goals, were in upheaval after the illnesses and deaths of my family members. I lost my Dad, Sister and Brother in Law, Mother and Brother in a short time span to unrelated illness and circumstances. It was a “horribly wrong ” time in my life. Be kind to your self through accident, illness, loss, and changes but do not give yourself permission to give up on yourself. Some days, even moments, are harder than others, but you get to decide your reaction to what life dishes out. I am training for my first full marathon and I am proud of MY choices that brought me here.
you need to focus on nutrition and rest so your body can heal.
I told myself I would excercise everyday from november 1, 2011 to january 1, 2012 because I did eat alot of candy for Halloween and now theres Thanksgiving and Christmas. Well I started out well and now I’ve skipped almost a week for whatever reason I had to not do my workouts. I actually get excercise because I clean apts and there are days I came home and was exhausted but I still felt horrible the next day when I didnt do my workout, and then one day ended up into the next day and so on and so on. lol well I am about to get back into it even if I missed a week. I can do and when the New Year gets here I will be wanting to keep on going on! Thanks for your newsletter. It really helps me out!
I have had pain in my hip for over a year. My Ortho doc said I had an injury to the muscle. Nothing helped. I finally went back and finally got an MRI arthrogram. As it turns out I have osteoarthritis with subcondylar cysts. I will have to have a hip replacement.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around this. It has had a huge impact on my ROM and what exercises I can do without too much pain.
I know about things going horribly wrong. In the past two years I been through a torn meniscus, prostate cancer, radiation and hormone therapy. I had to change my whole routine around for my workouts. Started out with mini steps and different workouts. Always determined to get back to where I was previously. Still not there but won’t give up.
I was training for a marathon earlier this year when I injured my knee. Couldn’t run, bike or even use the elliptical but I could swim. Swimming went so well that when my knee improved a month later, I decided to train for triathlons instead and have completed four since!
Turns out I love triathlon more than running alone. So my Horrible Wrong turned out to be the best thing that could happen! Lucky me!
My horribly wrong is when things in my life seem out of control and I get majorly stressed and end up with a bout of IBS. This interrupts things even more. There is no end to the stress at the moment and I can’t see it ending in the near future so I am going to have to try and harness this to my advantage and ‘ get back on the bike ‘ today. I am also going to have to tell my trainer that I have put on weight which I am ashamede off. Wish me luck!
My fitness partner suffered an injury that should have been prevented. During each exercise session, because of her physical disabilities, we had been setting up a group of important exercises in a particular way. Throughout our months of using this method I had been uncomfortable with the procedure, regularly doubting its safety, but not seeing any alternative. A couple days ago an injury did occur, which is causing her pain and a need not to exercise until the pain ceases. What we are doing now is looking into equipment that will allow us to set up and perform these ‘important’ exercises safely.
I had a “horribly wrong” incident over the summer…..excruciating pain in my hip and numbness down my entire right leg. Turns out I had a cyst on a nerve in the lumbar region of my back. Through it all I tried to stay positive, and be kind to myself and keep moving even if it hurt or wasn’t for as long as I was used to. After steroids and physical therapy I’m better but still afraid
that I might do something to make things “horribly wrong” again. Not sure what that one thing might be, but you do have to just keep on and not be too hard on yourself.
I must have a low threshhold for Horrible Wrongness; all it took to derail me was increased pressure at work (do more in less time). For the past month and a half, I’ve been working through most lunch breaks (i.e., my time for the gym) because everyone needs stuff done right freakin’ now. Too much time spent in an office chair made my back ache, so I’d be unable to stand, let alone exercise, after work.
Today I realized that my employer is completely willing to let me continue this way, in spite of lip service to the contrary. I got angry, got up and went to the gym. It felt great to be back!
I broke my foot the day after Memorial Day. Luckily it did not require surgery or a hard cast. I was able to wear a boot and was back in the gym the following day. I couldn’t do my usual lower body exercises — lunges, squats, and deadlifts. I had to start using machines, and had to use most of them one leg at a time. I also could not use some cardio machines such as the stairmaster or treadmill. I mainly used the elliptical machines and the recumbent bikes.
After my foot healed enough that I didn’t need to wear the boot and I was back to a full workout, I injured my hip. Once again I had to go back to machines and work around that injury for a few weeks.
I’m finally back to a full, hard work out. And, hope to keep it that way.
“horrible wrong” is a right way 2 put it. i was involved in an accident 11wks ago that nearly took my life. i am alive for 2 reasons: God had His loving arms wrapped tightly around me & the fact i have been working out 4 the last 35 yrs. of my life. staying fit & exercising has its dividends. it PAYS back hughly!!!! after 8 wks. i’m back in the gym, cardio only & will soon be on the machines. what i cant do in the gym, i take it to the pool. staying focus, progressing 4ward a little or a lot, it all counts on the road 2 recovery.
omg this article was like totally written for me cuz i hav jst gone thru the horrible wrongness phase. its also a lifesaver cux i know what i hav to make it right from wrong
i know i hav to keep moving forward no matter what 
thnk u soo much
My story is similar to ELQ’s. I slipped and tore a muscle in my leg and could no longer run (my main source of exercise other than weight lifting). I could barely walk let alone run. I was devistated–how was I going to stay in shape? My physical therapist was an avid cyclist and with his encouragement I started riding my old Walmart mountain bike. I also looked into local pools and pool running (since at the time I really only swam recreationally and couldn’t swim laps). I started biking and pool running, and found some water aerobics classes at the pool. I couldn’t do all the moves with my injury but I did what I could. After my injury finally healed I continued with my biking and water aerobics. I now am certified in water fitness and teach at this same pool. Since I have access to the pool I also learned how to swim, and have also done triathlon for the past 3 years. So this “set back” taught me how to swim, bike and started me on a new career.