8 Ways To Stay Motivated During Rehab

If you are starting down the road to recovery after a serious injury or surgery, there may be a significant distance between where you are now and where you want to be. And with recovery timelines that can stretch across months, there may be times when you struggle to stay motivated.

This can be hard for anyone. But it can be particularly difficult if this is the first time you’ve experienced an injury or condition that keeps you from participating in your favorite sport, taking care of your grandkids or some other activity. This sort of sidelining can be a shock to the system, both physically and mentally.

As you begin your physical therapy journey, here are several strategies you can use to stay on track and get back to the life you want as soon as possible.

1. Set Realistic Goals

   1. As you embark on your physical therapy journey, your first step is taking stock of where you are and where you can realistically go. This will give you something concrete to work for, while also providing the building blocks for your rehab. Consider someone who has suffered a knee injury that requires surgery. At the start of rehab, it helps to decide what an ideal recovery looks like. Is it a return to competitive sports, riding a bicycle, weekend gardening or walking around the neighborhood?
      
      But don’t stop with your end goal, which may be several months away. Incremental goals – putting full weight on your knee, walking without assistance, running, etc. – can keep you going as your rehab progresses.

2. Track Your Progress
   1. Now that you have goals, you need a way to track your progress toward reaching these goals. Keeping a journal or record of your efforts (your therapist may do this for you) will be invaluable on those days when you feel frustrated by what seems to be a lack of progress. You’ll be able to consult your records and see how far you’ve come since day one.
3. Celebrate Your Victories
   1. Maybe your ultimate goal is to rejoin your friends on the pickleball court. But that may be months away. Until you get there, take some time to enjoy the small wins and milestones. You can even establish a rewards system for your incremental goals. It could be a new book, a meal at a favorite restaurant or a weekend getaway.
4. Build a Support Team
   1. There may be times when therapy feels like an unrelenting slog. You don’t have to go through it alone. You may find great value in talking with other people who have gone through the same experience. You can find people who have dealt with your injury in many places. They may be in the clinic where you are rehabbing or among your friends or family members. There are also support groups and online communities where you can connect with others who have been in your shoes.
5. Establish a Routine
   1. One of the keys to successful rehabbing is the work you do at home, when you aren’t under the watchful eye of your physical therapist. One of the ways to stay on track is to dedicate a time slot each day to your at-home sessions. For example, you could schedule a home session each morning before you get your day started. Or you could set aside the same time that you previously used for the sport or activity that caused your injury.
6. Movement Is Medicine
   1. Keeping your body moving is a key to your health and recovery. Find a way to stay active. If your arm is in a sling, you may not be able to do anything on a pickleball court. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get out for a walk or some other activity with your lower body.
7. Plan for Setbacks
   1. In a perfect world, your therapy journey would be a constant progression toward your end goal. But the reality is that you will experience ups and downs. It will help if you are ready for these setbacks to occur and have a plan for how to overcome them.
8. Talk Openly with Your Therapist
   1. Your strongest ally in your rehabilitation is your physical therapist. You will get the most out of that relationship if you have open communication. That means telling your therapist exactly what you are experiencing during therapy. Let them know when something is hurting, or when something is particularly effective. This collaborative approach can help your therapist make adjustments so you get the most out of your sessions.

About Orlando Health

Orlando Health is pleased to partner with USA Track & Field (USATF) as Official Medical Network Partner. Through this partnership, Orlando Health will assist USATF to provide medical support to their athletes in our region.
 
Orlando Health, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, is a private, not-for-profit healthcare organization with $9.2 billion of assets under management that serves the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico. Founded more than 100 years ago, the healthcare system is recognized around the world for its trauma care. It is also the site of an Olympic athlete training facility and operator of one of the largest and highest performing clinically integrated networks in the region. For more information, visit http://www.orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X @orlandohealth.