Leslie Podlog, Ph.D.• posted on LinkedIn:This mettle minds podcast features some wonderful injury advice from Dr. Ina Harizanova, a former elite modern pentathalete, a long-time fencing and swimming coach, and a doctor of clinical psychology. She suggests that young athletes may be reluctant to communicate pain and injury given fears about the implications of doing so. She highlights the importance of building high quality coach-athlete relationships in fostering trust and maintaining open lines of communication.
Dr. Harizanova discusses numerous strategies for coping with injury adversity including: seeking social support, listening to body signals indicating further injury damage, maintaining a daily routine, and trying to optimize sleep hygiene and eating habits to promote healing. She also emphasizes the value of trying to remain focused on the present and challenging potentially irrational forms of thinking.