Aidan Corr: 5 lessons I’ve learnt about injury recovery

“It’s probably the longest injury I’ve ever had,” Aidan says. “It’s pretty full-on for something that doesn’t hurt a lot. At the moment, I'm on a few different tablets a day.” Fortunately, his experiences with recovery from earlier injuries have served him in good stead – and they’re equally useful for anyone dealing with a physical setback.

Here are Adian’s top tips for recovering from injury.

It may seem obvious, but it’s an excellent place to start. Pre-emptive efforts to avoid injury are well worth the investment.

Still, we’re only human, and it can be tempting to cut corners – even for the pros. “It’s amazing how little of a warmup you do when the coaches aren’t there,” Aidan laughs. “But it’s so important, and I learned that the hard way when I was younger.”

His go-to prehab recommendation? “I’m a big believer in Pilates. I think it should be a prerequisite for all first to third-year players.”

And if you’re feeling a sudden twinge or pain, respect what your body is trying to tell you. “You push through, and that’s when the injuries come,” Aidan says.

Recalling a minor ankle sprain he sustained while playing with the Giants, he shares how he attempted to play through the pain. “I hurt my calf because I was running funny. I tried to pretend everything was fine and ended up setting myself back a couple of weeks.”

Injuries can be a source of frustration, especially if you tend to ruminate on what you can’t do. One way to overcome this is to point the energy you’d put into your sport in a new direction. “You’ve got to have a balance,” Aidan says. “I need to keep myself busy outside of the club.”

For the young footballer, that meant enrolling in a carpentry course. During earlier recovery periods, he managed to complete a cert IV and diploma in building and construction. “I knocked that off in my rehab time, which is going to be great for me post-footy.”

Of course, there’s no onus on you to learn a new trade. “If you can, get away for the weekend – my partner and I try and go camping,” Aidan says. A change of scene can provide a much-needed injection of fresh energy. “There’s no point lingering around feeling sorry for yourself. You’ve got to find things that get you feeling upbeat.”

If you’re undergoing a lengthy rehab process, you’re going to need the support of those around you. For many, that will mean friends and family. But don’t overlook the medical professionals who are working with you, nor the patients alongside you.

“It’s a special bond you grow in rehab,” Aidan observes. “I’m new to the club and I’m trying to build those relationships. You get new best mates you wouldn’t have picked at the start of the year.”

If you can, reach out to those who’ve been in your place before for advice. Fortunately, Aidan doesn’t need to look too far for this. “The boys have been through similar stuff,” he says about his North Melbourne teammates. “They try and schedule things so everyone can get to them, and we don’t miss out.”

When coming back from an injury, it’s essential you visualise your steps to success. “Set short-term goals and make them realistic,” Aidan advises. “For me, starting to run again was a huge goal. So, I set smaller ones around calf raises and hopping.”

Don’t just think about what you want to achieve, either. Write down the small goals that will get you to where you want to be. Research has shown that doing so makes you more likely to achieve them. Plus, you get the satisfaction of completing steps on your way to recovery. “It gives you a boost, you tick something off and it feels good. You think, “I’ve gotten better today,” and that’s important.”

Moving your body and rebuilding strength is important, but it’s not the be-all and end-all of your journey. “You recover so much better when you have a good rest period,” Aidan says.

The science backs this up; sleep is important for both performance and recovery. “It can be hard to go to bed, and very hard to get out of it,” he laughs. “But when you’re sleeping, your body heals and you get [physical] adaptations a lot more effectively.”

Nutrition is also a key component. The food you consume is the fuel your body uses to help you recover, so you need to ensure you’re eating the right things (and enough of them).

“Now I’m ramping up the training, and I wasn’t matching it with enough food – I was running out of steam,” Aidan says. “You might think, ‘Oh, I might drop some weight if I don’t have as much for breakfast.’ But you need that as fuel to let you work harder.”

The path to recovery can be a difficult one, a fact Aidan acknowledges. “Sometimes it’s hard to bring that passion. It’s literally my job, and I [can] find it tough.”

Still, persistence and discipline pay dividends – even if the progress feels slow. “All those little one-percenters add up,” Aidan tells us. “If you do 20 of them, you’re looking at a 20 per cent boost in performance.”

Article 1: Recovering from injury ‘may not be what you instinctively think’
Article 2: A beginner’s guide to good pain
Article 3: 10,000 steps vs. the gym: Which workout is better?

Staff writers come from a range of backgrounds including health, wellbeing, music, tech, culture and the arts. They spend their time researching the latest data and trends in the health market to deliver up-to-date information, helping everyday Australians live healthier lives. This is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances. The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances