Shoulder Injury
22M beginner with skinny-fat body type — shoulder injury ruined my progress and motivation
I started working out at home with a pair of dumbbells a few months ago. Since I was completely new to training, I probably made mistakes with form or overdid something. One day my right shoulder started hurting, but I ignored it thinking it was normal soreness.
After some days the pain got worse, so I visited an orthopedic surgeon. He said it was likely a shoulder strain/sprain, gave me medicines, and told me to rest for a month. During medication the pain reduced, but once the medicines ended the pain came back again.
I visited him again and this time he explained that medicines alone won’t fix it. He suggested stretches/rehab exercises along with medication and strictly told me to avoid upper body workouts for around 3–4 months.
Now I honestly feel very low mentally. I already had a skinny-fat body with belly fat, and after stopping workouts my biceps, forearms, chest, and shoulders feel weak again. I wanted to improve my physique and fitness but now I feel stuck and demotivated.
Has anyone gone through something similar? How did you stay fit mentally and physically during recovery? Also, what can I still do safely while avoiding upper body training?