Tips from a snowboarder to get back to the hill after ACLR

Getting back to your sport after ACLR is not an easy feat! Especially when you add in snow conditions, other skiers and snowboarders, and the cold!

Braden was a client of mine who was looking for more advanced knee rehab after his ACLR surgery in 2020. I asked him a few questions about getting back into his sports so that you (if you’re going through your own ACLR rehab) can hear from people who have done it as well!

Check out the Q&A below:

How did you injure your ACL?

Climbing

What surgery did you have and when?

October 2020

What is/are your main sports?

Sailing, snowboarding, climbing

How long after your ACLR surgery did you return to your sport?

14 months

In terms of confidence, how did you feel about your knee and your abilty heading back to your sport?

Initially low, and built up over another year!

Did you have certain strategies or thought processes you used during your first times back?

Go slow and have a good Physio!

What would you say to someone about to head back to their sport after their ACLR surgery?

Be really patient, it’s a big process. Pay attention to deficits and talk to your Physio! You can work through all of them!

Were there aspects of your training or rehab that helped you feel more able and ready for your sport?

A really disciplined training program!

Any other comments or tips you’d like to share?

Being really committed to your rehab in terms of days, time, diet and commitment to the process is really important! Have a journal and workout sheets which help track and compare progress. Calipered strength and speed measurement was critical. And return to sport and return to performance are different things!

Key takeaways:

Getting back to your main sport can be a long journey. There is lots of discussion and chatter around a return to sport between 9 and 12 months which is just much shorter than what truly happens for recreational athletes.

Another important point Braden brings up is the transition of returning to sport and returning to performance. This is the image I show my clients and athletes once we’ve made it back to the return to activity and sport phase. Getting back to your sport is one thing, but continuing to improve and to even get back to your previous level will take another solid effort. To then begin to perform better than you did pre-injury is another effort! This usually comes down to managing expectations and having a plan and program to keep going.