Recovery Isn't Lazy. It's How You Get Back in the Game.
You tweak your knee, roll an ankle, or wake up with a back that won't cooperate. So you do what most people do. You push through, ignore it, and hope it goes away.
Or you stop moving altogether, and that weekly game you loved slowly becomes something you "used to do." There's a better way back.
The hit that could have ended my season for good
Two years ago, I was playing in my year-end hockey game when someone hit my knee. I knew right away it was injured.
I limped off the ice and hobbled home. And then I started my recovery process.
I let the natural inflammation do its job at the start. I did some gentle movements to see what I was working with, and had it checked to rule out an ACL tear. I took my supplements, drank my water, ate balanced meals, used heat, rested it, and booked a massage.
I made recovery and proper rehab a priority, not an afterthought. And it paid off. My knee healed in a few weeks, and I got back to regular workouts and continued to build my total strength.
But here's what keeps me up at night: most people wouldn't take those steps. They'd stay in pain, stop moving, and maybe never play their sport again.
That's the cycle I want to stop for you.
Prevention first. Proper recovery next.
Of course we want to prevent injuries. That's what building your foundation, fuelling well, and staying hydrated are all about.
But when you play a sport you love, sometimes injuries happen anyway. When they do, proper recovery is the next best thing.
Recovery isn't lazy, and it isn't quitting. It's part of training. Your body gets stronger while it rests and repairs, not just while you're working hard. And for busy parents, sleep is the biggest recovery tool you have, even though it's usually the first thing to go.
5 ways to make recovery a priority
Protect your sleep like it's game day. Sleep is when your muscles repair and your energy refills. A consistent bedtime and a screen-free wind-down make a real difference, even in busy seasons.
Keep moving, gently. Total rest usually isn't the answer. Easy movement within a pain-free range helps your body heal and keeps you from stiffening up.
Get it checked. If something doesn't feel right, see a physiotherapist or doctor. Knowing what you're dealing with means you can rehab it properly instead of guessing.
Support healing from the inside. Fuel well, stay hydrated, and give your body the building blocks it needs to repair. Everything from from my last couple of blogs counts double here. (If you haven't read them, go back and check them out)
Book the recovery. Massage, physio, or a stretching session. Put it in the calendar like you would your kids' appointments.
What this looks like in real life
Mom of a baby: resting when the baby naps instead of tackling the laundry, at least some of the time.
Mom of toddlers: five minutes of gentle stretching on the floor while they play beside you.
Mom of school-age kids: booking your own physio or massage on the same day as their appointments.
Mom of teens: an earlier bedtime the night before your game, not just theirs.
Recovery doesn't have to be fancy. It just has to happen.
Recovery is where it all comes together
Look at what helped my knee heal: rest, gentle movement, water, good fuel, and the mindset to make recovery a priority. That's almost every pillar we've covered so far, working as one.
That's exactly why I coach all six pillars together. Each one makes the others stronger. Next week, in the final post of this series, we'll cover the last pillar, stress management, and show how everything connects into one game plan.
You don't need to bounce back. You get to build forward, even after a setback.
Book a FREE Discovery call to see if recovery is the missing piece in your sport.
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