Stay Positive Part 1

Hey guys! Knee surgery was successful and I now have another cadaver graft holding my knee together. Unfortunately it sucks, like really bad, but now that I've gone through this process twice in less than a year I'm more prepared for future injuries and I know how to take care of myself. So, I decided to give you guys some tips on staying positive, motivated, reaching your goals and mentally dealing with injury to help you guys out! I will be doing this in two parts so stay tuned!

My first tip, and one of the most important ones, is to stay positive and motivated! It's hard when you're in a slump or injured to stay positive but it is essential to getting yourself back on track. One thing you can do to stay positive is think about all the fun times you've had in your activity, this specifically works well for sports, and think of all the fun times to come when you get back! 

a photo of us doing our flexion and extension exercises at Silver Mountain Sports Club
from left to right: Maddison, Heidi, Ella, Natalie (the one behind Tasia), Tasia, and me

Another great thing to do is to work with a group. There were three other girls on my team, as well as two from other ski sports, with the same exact injury as me. I decided that getting all of us together in the gym would be a great idea since I started doing upper body exercises two weeks after surgery. I can not express how much more motivated I was this surgery than my last because I had my friends there. For me I saw being able to use the most weight as a competition and have thrived from the workout group we've formed. If you'd like to read more about staying positive and how it relates to your health and competition click here. This also kind of ties into my next tip.

My next tip is to reach your goals. Try not to make goals too hard because otherwise you will end up discouraged when you don't accomplish them right away. One of my goals at the gym was to try to increase my weight by every two weeks. This is easier to accomplish for me because when you are starting out in the gym after having a strong muscle memory you make gains in your progress quickly. Of course as you continue you will need to update your goals as you are always changing. Also, don't be discouraged when you fail or aren't able to do everything you would like. With ACL reconstruction, ESPECIALLY a revision, it's a slow process. You can't run immediately after surgery. You need to relearn to walk, strength your surrounding muscles and make sure you have given the graft enough time to heal and become part of your body before you can start to pound your body again. This can take three or more months. It's a slow process that you need to get through.

Alright guys, hopefully this has helped you out a little bit. I know it can be hard to come back from an injury or having a bad week but don't let it get you down. Next time I'll show you an effective way to keep track of progress and be sure you don't make some of the mistakes I made when I had surgery last year. See you soon!