The #1 mistake athletes make with injuries..

Let me make something clear before we get started - if you have a body and you move on a daily basis, you’re an athlete.

You don’t have to compete or lift heavy weights or run really fast to be an athlete. You must only have a desire to improve your functional capacity and health in some form or fashion on a daily basis. That’s it. That makes you an athlete.

Now that we agree on what an athlete is (don't message if you disagree), let's talk about injuries.

The #1 mistake athletes make is believing that sacrificing health is a necessity for improving performance.

There’s still such a mentality of pushing through injuries and just accepting aches and pains. When in reality, the aches and pains are the #1 thing driving poor performance! And here’s why.

If you look at the highest level performers in any given sport, you’ll notice they have one similar characteristic. Tom Brady, LeBron James, Serena Williams – these icons aren't just about talent; they're durability machines. They show us that the #1 predictor of greatness might not be athleticism, strength or speed, but the ability to stay on the court, year after year.

The truth is, being the most skilled athlete doesn't mean a thing if you're sidelined. No one improves their top level performance when they’re in rehab.

These are the facts:

1. The best way to get worse at your sport is to get injured.

2. The best athletes are the ones who don't get injured.

3. Time-loss injuries (getting hurt and not being able to train or compete) are the #1 predictor of poor performance.

Take a look at the graph below. I drew it up during a call with a client the other day so yea, it’s rough. Nevertheless, it illustrates an important point.

The more consistent we are with training sessions, the better our performance. When we miss sessions, due to injury, for example, our performance goes down the gutter.

Yes, of course we need rest and recovery. But extended time loss where we’re not training, practicing, and moving, will slowly but surely negatively impact our performance.

I saw a video today of Ben Herbert, the man responsible for the health and performance of the LA Chargers. His approach is pretty simple and he seems to agree with me here.

He has 3 main principles when it comes to training: Durability, Consistency, and Stability.

Nowhere in his approach does he talk about “aches and pains being a necessary byproduct of improving performance.” No, he realizes that when his athletes are injured they’re unable to improve their performance.

The takeaway here is simple - if your goal is to improve your health, performance, or longevity in any way, the best way to do that is to avoid injury.

There’s no better performance enhancer than consistency.

Accumulating reps over an extended period of time. Injuries take that away from us and should be avoided at all costs.

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See yah out there,

Ryan