The ACL Motive

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02/20/2026

If you make pain the only thing you track in ACL recovery… you will burn out, fast.

pain fluctuates, it is very emotional and responds to stress, sleep, hormones, life, etc

If every single day you wake up and ask,
“Does it hurt?” and let that answer decide whether you’re winning or losing…

You’re setting yourself up to spiral.

I see this all the time: The knee is objectively stronger, Work capacity is higher and Confidence is building.

But because discomfort still exists, the narrative becomes:
“I’m not where I should be.”
“Something is wrong.”
“I’m behind.”

And that mental space is way more damaging long term than the pain with X .

ACL recovery is already demanding. It doesn’t need you fighting your own brain every day too.When you zoom out and track trends instead of sensation, everything shifts.

You will have less panic, less over-correcting and less emotional rollercoasters.

You don’t need a silent knee to be progressing but You do need perspective, and if you’re exhausted from constantly analyzing every little sensation, that’s your sign it’s time to change the lens you’re using 💜

Send this to the friend going through ACL recovery!

02/19/2026

Let’s take a seat, eat some homemade chip dip & talk ACL recovery for a bit:

You can be progressing and still have symptoms.
You can be stronger and still have a flare.
You can increase capacity and still have occasional stiffness.
Both can be true and that doesn’t erase the fact that it still freaking sucks navigating it!!

The problem though: in this recovery We’re given timelines.
“6 months.”
“9 months.”
But no one really explains what you disrupted.
You didn’t just “fix a ligament.”
You also chose a graft: Patellar tendon, Quad tendon, Hamstring.

That means you harvested tissue.you altered mechanics.
You disrupted your extensor system or posterior chain.

That takes time to rebuild.

Strength doesn’t return overnight.Tendon tolerance doesn’t restore linearly & Confidence definitely doesn’t.

Recovery isn’t a perfect graph because you’re rebuilding a system.if you measure only pain, you’ll think you’re failing.
If you measure capacity, you’ll see you’re adapting.

Having that perspective changes everything!

02/18/2026

In case you don’t know, Flares or setbacks are part of ACL recovery.

Now, the mistake I often see: One irritated knee day and suddenly an exercise gets labeled “bad”or the program is scaled back way too much.

So things get avoided.Progress stalls.Confidence drops.

Yes, there are moments we pull something off the table.
But most of the time, it’s not about elimination.
It’s about adjustment: load, Volume, Range/dpeth, & frequency.

You have a choice when a flare shows up:
React emotionally or respond strategically.

The people who move forward aren’t the ones who never flare.They’re the ones who know what to do when they do.

If you don’t have that framework yet, that’s the gap.

You know where to find me 💜

02/17/2026

ACL Besties, here’s something I teach every single client about flare-ups.
if you’ve been struggling with knee pain that feels random at 6, 8, even 10+ months post-op, this is exactly what you’ve been missing.

It explains your symptoms without assuming something is damaged or that you’re going backwards.

When my client’s knee flared up, we added up everything:
In-person PT session (160 squat variations in a 40-min session)
Strength workouts
Daily steps
Work
Life stress
Sleep
Nutrition
Mental load

your knee doesn’t just count exercises.it counts total load!
flare-ups are often a load management issue, not a failure in recovery and most importantly does not indicate damage.

If you want my step-by-step guide on how to manage a flare during ACL rehab, comment FLARE and I’ll send it to you.

02/16/2026

Can I tell you something?

I don’t know if it comes with time, experience, or perspective but choosing to see ACL recovery as a learning and growth opportunity changes everything.

I get to guide women through a season where they’re scared they’ll never feel the same again and help them realize this process can teach them confidence, patience, and trust in their body in ways they never expected. And that’s so powerful.💜🥹

If you’re in the middle of your ACL recovery and feeling stuck or discouraged, send me a message and let’s talk about what your next steps can look like.

02/14/2026

Sending love to you all from our little fam 💜
You don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day to show love. the little things you do every day for people (and for yourself) matter more than you think especially when the world feels heavy💜💜

02/13/2026

this is the exact phase you need to be locked in on if you actually want the later stages to go well.

The first 30 days after ACL surgery will either set you up
or quietly screw you.

I don’t care if you’re non-weight bearing, or if you’re full weight bearing on day one.

There are specific things that need to be done and they need to be done correctly.

Not randomly, not “whenever I remember” and not based on what someone with zero credentials in a Facebook group said.

I’ve seen people NOT handle this phase well or be completely misguided and guess what happens?

Month 6: still stiff.
Month 9: quad lagging.
Month 12: “Why doesn’t this feel normal?”

If you don’t like being disciplined in the early phase, I’m not sure what to tell you because this is the ultimate foundation builder. Truly! You don’t get to skip the base and expect a powerful comeback.

Send this to someone in their first 30 days post-op.
Save it for yourself if you’re there right now.

Comment EXTENSION for my guide 💜

02/12/2026

She is competitive, Strong, & The kind of woman who will challenge a man in something physical… and win.

And yet, I still hear this from women all the time:
“I’m not an athlete.”

Politely: No, You are!

Athleticism doesn’t require cleats or a jersey.
If you train, move with purpose, or you care about staying capable then you’re an athlete, girl!

And you deserve to be treated like one!!

ACL recovery isn’t just about getting back to normal.
It’s about building the foundation for who you want to be at 30, 50, 60 , 70, At 80.

when you train for longevity, You don’t shrink your life and you get the amazing opportunity to say yes to everything in between.

Whether you’re 13 or 60, you don’t get a watered-down version of training here. You will be challenged because this process is all about doing things right, having fun and learning new skills that last a lifetime!

02/11/2026

After years of working in ACL rehab, I’ve seen this over and over again.

Sometimes the smartest move is bringing the crutch back.

I’ve helped a lot of people who lost extension not because they didn’t stretch enough but because their knee was overloaded too soon.

Swelling blocks extension, an irritated knee guards like crazy, then everyone thinks it’s a “tight hamstring” or that this is a typical response…..

Getting off the crutch early feels like progress, I totally get it. BUT if your knee isn’t ready to tolerate full load yet, you’re just feeding stiffness, pain, and extension loss. That doesn’t serve you as it prolongs the early recovery stage for you!

If this hit home, comment EXTENSION and I’ll send you my guide.

02/10/2026

Let that sink in!
I’ve been coaching ACL rehab for years, and this is one of the hardest truths to share because it goes against what a lot of you experience early on.

Forcing knee extension to the point of tears often does the opposite of what you want.it actually doesn’t help your situation. Not because extension doesn’t matter , it does, but pain, guarding, and nervous system threat don’t create lasting change.

Extension sticks when it’s trained with the right inputs & the right frequency, not just someone pushing harder on your leg twice a week.

If this was helpful, let me know and follow along for honest ACL rehab education and real-life confidence that actually transfers outside the PT clinic visits.

Comment EXTENSION for my guide 💜

02/09/2026

Return to sport after ACL surgery matters but so does feeling confident in your knee during every day life 💜

If you resonate, welcome! You’ll feel right at home!

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Arlington, VA

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http://theaclmotive.com/

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