Sports rehab in the traditional sense relates to the period following an injury. But did you know that the same approach can also be applied to 'recovering' from a loss of form? If something's not working the best approach is to STOP, observe, assess and re-think your approach.

Whether injured, suffering from loss of form or confidence, you should take the crisis as an indicator that you were doing something wrong. Unless you take time to consider what this 'wrong' is, you could find yourself with a recurring injury or your results in free-fall.

Don't Just Try Harder!

‘If you want something done, ask a busy person’. Sports people are busy people and generally have great difficulty just stopping. The demands of your sport or the strict training schedule you have set yourself make it seem impossible to take time off. But how many people do you know who struggle on with a persistent injury? They may never regain the sort of form they achieved before but still insist they cannot afford to stop. Yet taking time out can pay big dividends if you can discover why you have been getting injured or why your performance has dipped.

Too many of us just try harder using the same methods and attitude with extra effort thrown in.

It won’t work!

If you keep driving along the same route and arrive at the wrong destination, it doesn’t make sense to go back and then follow the same route again – this time faster. You may find out more quickly that you’ve got it wrong, but don’t waste time doing it again. Stop and consult the map!


Change cannot happen without first coming to a halt. Trying to change without at first stopping is like trying to do maintenance on an airliner whilst it's still in flight! If you are trying to make changes during your usual training regime, you will be surrounded by the same stimuli triggering your habitual reactions that are leading to your current problem. Take a step away from this environment for a period and learn to quieten things down before returning to training. When you do return, your poor habits will now hit you like a speeding train - whereas previously they were an integral part of your technique.

From my experience of working with injured athletes I find the majority have lost what I call the art of natural movement. This could be due to previous injuries or a poor training regime. As a result they are poorly coordinated and use the wrong muscles or too much effort for even simple movements.

Have You lost The Art?

I have devised a quick test that will indicate whether you are using your body efficiently. To try it please click here.

If you found that your 'body concept' is not as good as it should be you will need assess how you move. The unnecessary actions you may have noticed when performing my chair test are a good place to start. Do you use any of those in your sport? Do you clench the jaw or hold your breath when exerting yourself.

I have a number of useful technique in my Body Awareness Course that will help you to identify where you may be using the 'wong kind of effort'. Once you can eliminate these performance limiting habits you will find your movement and self-observation skills improve dramatically.

To receive this free five day course please sign up here.

So I would say the most important part of your sports rehab is to STOP! Take your time to observe what you are doing and determine whether you are contributing unnecessary, performance limiting actions that undermine your technique. Only when you can breakdown your basic 'movement blocks' and eliminate the poor habits will you really start to improve.

Get Into The Zone!

My peak performance program 'Zone Mind, Zone Body' has a number of procedures that will help you through the process of sports rehab and get you into The Zone.

For more information please click on the cover or here

Want to ask a question? My approach to sports rehab and training is a little different to conventional methods. If there is anything on this page that you would like to follow up please feel free to contact me Roy Palmer

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