The Mindset of Injury Recovery

Grayson Fertig

It’s wild to see Tiger Woods back at the top of golf. Not because a comeback never happens, but because I have a sense of the resilience this man has. And I realize that he must also be spiritually brilliant.

Back in the day when he was Tiger he was an athletic alien. To me he was not just dominant, he was different. To me, his mental game seemed different, somehow more evolved. And I think this was actually his brilliance even when most people saw his athletic prowess as such.

My argument goes that had his physical awesomeness been his leading edge back in the day that never would he have been able to get through the ego-shattering of debilitating injuries. His ability cut to shreds by back pain, his world destroyed, his dignity taken, his family crushed, ego and sense of self permanently altered. Yes of course even at his lowest point he never sank lower than the common golfer, but like any common guy with back pain, he experienced the far-reaching tentacles of inability and pain. Tiger experienced the reality that injury doesn’t care if you’re sponsored by Nike or drive a truck.

Related Article: 4 Stages of Core Training for Lower Back Pain

So how has he done it? My guess is that throughout his voyage back he had access to top form mobility exercise regimens and injury recovery plans. He probably had a chef and a personal masseuse and an incredibly beautiful setting for all of it. Meaning he wasn’t training at Planet Fitness with his personal trainer from down the block after his prescribed physical therapy sessions ran out. That kind of program is part of it, but still, he had to do it. He had to do the step by step pathway out of being in pain and his being likely being in a lot of pain.

Resilience.

He didn’t give up. He had faith in himself. He understood he had more to channel to us through his golfing meditations. He’s back, but realize he’s also back to giving to us. That’s how you do it. That’s how you go through it. And that’s how you don’t give up on yourself. That’s what he’s showing us. Tiger Woods the patron saint of the inner game of physical therapy?

If you ask me what are 6 keys to succeeding with your injury recovery plan then I’d say the following:

The inner game, the mental game is near the top of that list.
Integration, realistically integrating your physical recovery plan into your lifestyle.
Movement and mobility, be conscious to refine your movements by improving mobility at every chance.
Seeking outside help, work with someone so your recovery feels like a project rather than a duty or something you should do. Test yourself, safely continue to test yourself and your physical boundaries even after you become pain-free.
Gratitude, the longer you can stay grateful the more likely you’ll succeed and if you succeed I’d imagine you’d stay grateful.
Do the recovery exercises as it matters.

And one more, like Tiger, don’t give up on yourself.

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