So, you’re starting up a new block of rehab, or maybe just beginning the process as a whole. You’ve got your support team picked out and the perfect rehab plan laid out in front of you. It’s time to make an important commitment and you have high expectations for yourself! Wait a second, what if you still have other commitments, other people in your life who depend on you, or maybe just a period of time where your schedule gets muddy and you don’t feel like you can make time to stick to the perfect plan you had laid out?
ACL rehab is a long process, which means there is plenty of time to have ups and downs while still continuing to trend up! Perfection isn’t necessary for progress. While it feels great to finish everything in your plan and crush a couple weeks of rehab, for most people, it’s just not realistic to sustain that level throughout the entire timeline.
It helps to have the mindset that you want to keep your rehab floor high. Even if you go in and get 30% of the work done, think about that 30% as some change you get to throw into your rehab savings account. Over time, that change adds up! Picture your rehab savings account looking like Scrooge McDuck’s vault over time.
To add some context to a high floor in rehab, it’s not all about maximizing strength gains throughout the entire process, but also raising the floor on what you’re able to tolerate. We want to keep your “manageable zone” (picture to the left) as high as we can during periods of time when your schedule just doesn’t allow you to get to the gym.
Image credit: Tom Goom (@running.physio)
Doing something is usually better than doing nothing for your rehab. Communicate with your provider or coach and let them know what is feasible for you at the moment, even if that’s getting creative with a few efficient sessions at home. The best program is the one that gets done.
