Setbacks in Fitness: How to Stay Grounded When Life Knocks You Down

Setbacks don’t always come with a warning.

Over the weekend, I dislocated my shoulder for the third time—at my own birthday workout. I wasn’t doing anything extreme. Just jumped up on the pull-up bar like I’ve done a hundred times before. I only had two reps left, and then I would have been done. But my shoulder shifted the wrong way, and that was it.

Once you’ve dislocated a joint, it becomes a weak spot. You can do all the right things—be strong, consistent, and intentional with your training and recovery—and it can still happen. That’s a tough reality to accept.

This setback is a big one. It likely means surgery and a long recovery. It’s hard not to feel defeated. It’s hard not to spiral into frustration and self-pity. But here’s where I’m choosing to focus: staying grounded. Staying focused on what I can do, even if it looks very different for a while.

And the truth is, I’m not alone in this. Every day, we work with clients who face setbacks in fitness—injuries, unpredictable challenges, and circumstances that feel unfair. It’s part of life. It’s part of the journey. In the grand scheme, it’s just a blip in time, even though it doesn’t feel that way in the moment.

I know some of you deal with chronic or constant pain, and it feels so unfair. Trust me, I get it. But at the end of the day, we can only play the cards in our hand. And me? I only play to win.

So if you’re facing your own setback, remember this: forward is forward. It may not look like the progress you imagined, but it still counts. And sometimes, the strength you build in the comeback is greater than the strength you had before.

Ready to Keep Moving Forward?

Setbacks don’t have to stop your progress. At Get Fit NH, we’ll help you find safe, smart, and effective ways to keep training—no matter what challenges you’re facing.

👉 Click here to start your FREE 2-week trial and let’s build your comeback together.