Sport ban: What to do when the body strikes?
The text for this story was already done when life struck in between: I collapsed during basketball training and tore the cruciate ligament in my right knee. "Maybe you should look for a more joint-friendly sport," the doctor said succinctly after the examination. I could not answer, my throat was tight.
Suddenly ban on sports?
Of course I should, I know that, of course. But stop after 35 years? That's just incredibly difficult. The diagnosis pulled the ground from under my feet. Because not only with his favorite sport many memories and the fun of the movement but because often also love people are attached. That was exactly the reason why I wanted to write about this topic. And while talking to the affected women, they had secretly thought: How good that I can still play.
You have to say goodbye and mourn
Often, our favorite sport says a lot about us: Whether we ride and maybe love animals and freedom; whether we like ballet and also discipline and body control; whether we like to play football and want to prevail in the team and with a lot of will to win; or if we prefer to jog alone through the forest.
Beloved from childhood
Especially sports that we started in childhood are difficult to get rid of. Between the ages of eight and twelve, we not only learn movement patterns most effectively and store them deep within ourselves. Our stamina, our ability to work in a team and our competitive spirit are also shaped. And some friendships from that time last a lifetime because of shared experiences and goals.
No wonder we are often faithful to our favorite sport for a lifetime? or rediscover it for us after a break. That's why we find it particularly hard when we suddenly have to stop because an accident or physical discomfort forces us to do so.
"Often people experience it as a great loss when they have to give up their sport, because an important area of their lives suddenly breaks away," confirms psychologist Gabi Ingrassia. "It is very important in this situation to take these feelings seriously. This will need time. You have to say goodbye and be allowed to mourn, to allow yourself to say: That's real shit now. "
One should not give up hope of finding something new
Unfortunately, one often meets with incomprehension because it is not a job or a partner that one loses. "That's right," says Ingrassia. "But it's not just a sport: You also have friends there, get recognition, belong to a community, feels needed. Or you move to get yourself adjusted to get rid of fears, worries and hardships. And suddenly, all that is missing. That can lead to great dissatisfaction and frustration. "
She advises taking time for a long period of getting used to and trying out what else is fun. Important: to think carefully about what features the old sport had for one, to search for a substitute that satisfies the same needs.
How do I know what I like?
Maybe you have to split this into several areas of life: If you have broken down with the movement above all stress, you may try yoga, autogenic training or martial arts. If you look for socializing, you can also go bowling or play cards in a group. When it comes to health or exhaustion, maybe Crossfit, swimming or running is the right thing to do. And you can get confirmation in the job instead of in sports or in a completely different area, for example, singing, acting or volunteering.
"This is very individual and sometimes takes time to find the right one for you," said the psychologist. "However, my experience shows that often the gap created by the loss of favorite sport often creates something new, which may even be just as good."As with the following women reporting the loss of their favorite sport ? and how they dealt with it.
Three women talk about their experiences
"I'm just a competition type"
That happened: Daniela, 41, had to quit with Crossfit. That lost her: the team feeling and the beautiful exhaustion. She got that: new relaxation in yoga and lots of fresh air while cycling.
"I love heavy weights, which is why Crossfit fascinated me right from the beginning: the combination of strength exercises, lifting weight, gymnastics and endurance was perfect for me, training four to five times a week. I am a competition type: If others were faster or gained more weight, I wanted that too.And the training was never boring: you make ten overhead squats, then you throw away your weights, run around the block and then make a few situps.
My body has changed a lot? until my pelvic floor made a dash through the bill. I had problems since the birth of my second child. Once, even after training, my pants were wet, and I stood howling in the shower. At some point it was clear to me that I had to stop. That was not easy for me the training was like an addiction for me. Meanwhile, I cycle to work three to four times a week. And I do yoga. But I really miss the endorphin release and the group dynamics at Crossfit. "
"For months I was unhappy"
That happened: Britta, 44, can never play squash again? Arthrosis. That misses her: the teammates that compete with others. She enjoys it now: no longer tied to fixed training times in the studio.
"Squash has been my passion for 30 years, because it's a fast, varied sport that requires a lot of fitness, I love the competition, the winning. I spent all my youth on the court, later played a few years in the Bundesliga. Five years ago, the pain started in the right hip. With every quick turn it stung in the joint. At some point, nothing worked. The devastating diagnosis: Osteoarthritis.
Gentle sports such as swimming and cycling, said the doctor, are okay, all ball sports and shocks as running rather unfavorable. For months I was cross-hearted. The people in the squash were missing. Besides, I need to get the most out of sports. When the pain finally got better, I started trying different courses in the studio: first things gentle on the joints like spinning, then more intensive workouts, where I really start to sweat. I am now contesting the competition I had against my opponents against myself. "
"Today I go jogging twice a week"
That happened: Wiebke, 48, had a herniated disc. Goodbye basketball! That's what you're missing: to see her friends regularly? and the ball! She is pleased: that she can still move around physically.
"The basketball hall used to be my second home: Here I was with my friends, we had a great community in the club and in the team. Fight together, win and sometimes lose I liked it better than jumping alone in athletics, so at some point I just did that.
Then my body suddenly started to bitch. Behind the kneecaps, I had cartilage damage. My lumbar vertebra jumped out when playing basketball more often. The painkillers I took before the games did not help at some point. I always had to take longer breaks. When a herniated disc was diagnosed in the cervical spine, I had to stop.
That was extremely hard for me, because the others were still playing and saw each other regularly. I did not feel like I belonged anymore. I go jogging twice a week today and go to the gym for weight training, to relieve my back and my knees. It does not replace playing basketball, but I'm glad I can even move. "
