Hi friends,

Humans are prone to underestimating how long things take to complete. This is true for to-do lists as we are often overzealous as to how much we can complete in a day. The same applies to dealing with injuries. We almost always underestimate the time and effort it takes to recover from them.

I tell my patients that after a significant injury, it can take about a year to fully recover. Collagen is the main structural protein of the body’s connective tissues including cartilage, bones, tendons, ligaments, and skin. The metabolic turnover rate for collagen, or the amount of time it takes for new collagen to replace the old, is about 300 days. That is why many injuries take a year to recover from.

Also, even when the injured tissues are healed, it doesn’t mean your body can do what it could before injury. Many injuries occur due to improper movements done over a long period which leads to something called “repeated microtrauma.”

Think of your tissues like a paperclip. If you bend it once or twice, the paper clip stays intact. But if you repeatedly bend it, something will break.

If you don’t fix the problem that led to the repeated microtrauma, the injury will never fully get better. This is when seeking out professional care from a physical therapist comes into play and should be done to accelerate the healing process.

Here are some tips to help set yourself up for a successful recovery:

• Consistently perform your home exercises prescribed by your physical therapist.

• Be intentional with your diet. Eating adequate protein and micronutrients helps to give your body the tools it needs to heal the injured tissues and build muscle.

• Manage your stress. Chronic stress leads to increased cortisol production in the body. This can contribute to high blood pressure, diabetes, and decreased muscle mass.

• Perfect your sleep. Sleep is when the body restores and heals damaged tissues. It is essential to get 7-9 hours of sleep consistently to foster an ideal environment for tissue healing.

Until next week,

Kevin

✍️ Quote I’m reflecting upon

“Be the adult in a world full of emotional children.”

— Ryan Holiday, Discipline is Destiny

❤️ Things I’m enjoying

1. Article - “The Power of a Cosmic Perspective” by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Remembering our place in the universe can elicit a sense of awe and greater purpose. Neil is a fantastic and succinct writer who makes science accessible to all levels of scientific backgrounds.

2. Song - “She Calls Me Back” by Noah Kahan.

3. Podcast - “From Party Boy to Millionaire Bestselling Author: Mark Manson on the Business of Books” on the Never Enough podcast.