HEALTH & WELLNESS CORNER
HEALTH & WELLNESS CORNER
Maximize Recovery: Turning Setbacks Into Momentum
JUDD KOENIG
On April 3, I broke my right hand doing something I love … playing Padel( yes, I abandoned the rules of grammar and capitalized it because that is how much I love it).
It wasn’ t a slow, overuse type of injury. It happened in an instant on Court 9 at The Replay Club in Boynton Beach. I was running forward, swinging the racket, and my fingers got caught in the cage as I swung to hit the ball. My middle and ring fingers hyperextended all the way back, resulting in a fracture of my third metacarpal. Translation: broken dominant hand.
Just like that, everything changed.
I was put in a custom brace and haven’ t been able to use my right hand since. I may not be back on the court until July, and that may be optimistic. For someone who thrives on staying active, competing, and pushing myself physically, it would have been very easy to hit pause on everything. And that’ s exactly where most people go wrong.
The Fork in the Road
In moments like this, you’ re faced with a choice.
You can say:“ I’ m injured. I’ ll get back to it when I’ m healed.”
Or you can ask:“ What can I still do?”
The first option sounds reasonable. It’ s also the beginning of lost momentum.
Because when you stop completely, you’ re not just recovering from an injury, you’ re breaking a routine. And rebuilding that routine later is far more difficult than maintaining it in some form today.
The Decision to Stay in Motion
I made a decision early on: I wasn’ t going to let this injury stop me from staying active. I was just going to have to do things differently.
So I started playing Padel … with my left hand.
It sounds simple, but it’ s anything but. I’ ve taken a couple of lessons and participated in a few clinics, and I can tell you this: it’ s humbling. Everything feels unnatural. Timing is off. Coordination is a work in progress.
But it’ s also been one of the most invigorating experiences I’ ve had in a long time.
My brain is working in ways it’ s not used to. I’ m being forced to slow down, focus, and relearn movements that once felt automatic. There’ s something powerful about being a beginner again. And most importantly, I’ m still on the court.
Redefining Activity
Beyond Padel, I’ ve adjusted everything else.
I’ ve committed to walking every day for cardio. Nothing complicated. Just consistent movement. I have developed a love / hate relationship with that little incline button on the treadmill.
I’ ve shifted my weight training to focus on legs three days per week. I’ ve incorporated core and ab work that doesn’ t require the use of my hand.
Is it my ideal routine? No.
Is it effective? Absolutely.
Because the goal was never perfection. The goal is consistency.
The Truth About Setbacks
Setbacks … whether physical like an injury, or situational like a demanding work schedule, have a way of exposing our mindset.
They give us an easy out. A built-in excuse.
“ I’ m too busy.”“ I’ m hurt.”“ I’ ll start again next month.”
But here’ s the reality: those are just excuses.
There will always be a reason not to stay active. Always.
Life doesn’ t suddenly clear space for your health goals. You have to create that space, even when it’ s inconvenient, even when it’ s imperfect, and especially when it’ s difficult.
The Power of“ Something”
One of the biggest lessons I’ ve taken from this experience is the value of doing something.
Not everything. Not perfectly. Just something.
A walk instead of a workout.
A modified routine instead of your normal one.
A left-handed Padel session instead of sitting on the sidelines.
( Continued on next page)
PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 11