My Top Tips for Healing After an Injury
My family and I are huge Mavs’ fans! And we love to attend games whenever we can.
Thinking about basketball, I wanted to take a moment to reflect and share the importance of nutrition through injury. In 1992, during my high school days (see above) filled with a passion for all sports, I injured my ACL my Senior year. Despite this challenge, I pressed on, determined to continue pursuing my love for fitness and activity without surgery.(as an FYI I grew up in a town of 400 people, we didn't even go to the Doctor!
BUT did you know a small percent of people can function without an ACL! Fast forward to 2009 when I decided to have surgery to fix my torn ACL; I embarked on a journey of recovery without much knowledge of nutrition and how important fueling is to the overall recovery process. Let me just say recovery was HARD. In December 2019, I needed another surgery on the same ACL, I approached this recovery as a FASTer Way Coach and with new knowledge and understanding, and the journey was a thousand percent easier! Through six months of dedicated physical therapy, fueled by a focus on protein to build muscle and micronutrients to reduce inflammation, I witnessed firsthand the power of fueling the body from within. By embracing the pillars of the Faster Way and controlling what I could control, I felt the muscle memory kick in, reminding me of the incredible capacity of the body to heal and rebuild. Nutrition was, and still is, key to recovery from injury!
If you are suffering through injury here are a few of my TOP TIPS for healing after injury:
Nutrition - food is healing
Sleep 7-9 hours to allow your body to recover
Listen to your body's cues - be a detective and stop when it feels right
When able to train again be sure to warmup to increase blood flow
Strength training - start slow and use resistance bands (PT sh help)
Stretch daily
Utilize good form by watching in mirror or video yourself to make corrections
Utilize rest day to allow recovery
Cross-training to work all the muscles (while I couldn't walk/jog I used the bike and elliptical
Water - don't let your body get dehydrated
All of these components play an important part in recovery and how to get back to your fit self. If you are going through injury just know it is temporary and the tips above can really help. Control what you can control! We must all be reminded of the truth that age is not a limitation—it's an opportunity to thrive, to grow, and to heal even better than before. So, as we continue this journey together, let's remember to honor our bodies, to fuel them with nourishment and kindness, and to embrace each day as a gift.