Have you ever felt amazing one day after PT… and then totally paid for it the next?Yeah, me too.
It’s like you finally start to feel like yourself again—you get up, do a few loads of laundry, run some errands, maybe even make dinner—and then bam. The next day your knee’s angry, your body’s wiped out, and you’re sitting there wondering what you did wrong.
Here’s the truth: you didn’t mess up. You’re healing.
And those moments that make you stop? They’re not punishments. They’re pivots.
Recovery isn’t straight lines—it’s a 12-to-18-month zigzag
There’s this idea that once surgery is done, it’s all steady progress from there. Nope. Knee replacement recovery is full of ups, downs and little detours that test your patience.
This is where the Yetter Getter Mindset really matters—staying aware, curious and willing to learn through those pivots instead of beating yourself up for them.
Every time you overdo it, your body isn’t failing. It’s talking to you. The goal isn’t to avoid mistakes; it’s to learn from them quicker the next time.
And trust me, this “overdoing it” phase shows up more than once—around week six or eight, again around month three or four, and sometimes even later. It’s normal. It’s part of the process.
My Saturday-high, Sunday-crash pattern
For me, it happened about eight weeks post-op. Thursday was PT day. I’d do the work, ice, rest, and by Saturday I felt so good. Almost normal.
So naturally, I’d start doing all the things—cleaning, laundry, errands. You name it.
Then Sunday hit. My knee was swollen, my energy tanked, and my mood followed.
It took a few rounds of that cycle before I realized something big: just because I felt good didn’t mean I was ready to go full throttle.
One minute I was excited and proud, the next I was frustrated, guilty, then finally aware.
That’s when it clicked—my body wasn’t weak; it was teaching me timing.
Those little stop-and-pivot moments? They’re sweet spots. They’re what teach you to listen differently and move smarter.
Listening takes practice
Listening to your body isn’t automatic. It takes time, and yeah—you’re going to overshoot sometimes.
Some days you’ll get it right. Other days you’ll overdo it. Either way, you’re learning.
When frustration creeps in, your energy dips. But when you stay curious and kind with yourself, that energy rises again. And that energy is a huge part of healing.
The energy side of recovery
If you haven’t watched my YouTube video Like Attracts Like, go check it out. It’s all about how your energy shapes your recovery.
When you push from guilt or impatience, everything tightens up. But when you lead with gratitude, rest and faith, your body relaxes and starts to work with you.
Your knee doesn’t need you to fight it. It needs you to flow with it.
Try this tonight: the Daily Self-Check
Before bed, take one minute and ask, “How’s my body really feeling right now?”
Not how you want to feel—how you actually feel. Look for the quiet stuff: warmth, swelling, heaviness, fatigue. Those are your body’s whispers.
Respect them before they turn into screams.
I call this listening reps—every time you check in, you’re strengthening your awareness muscle. Rest isn’t regression. It’s integration.
Your healing is a full orchestra
Your energy, mind, body and spirit are all instruments playing together. If you rush the song, it turns into noise.
Give yourself space to let it sound beautiful. Don’t judge the setbacks—pivot through them.
Your body isn’t against you. It’s on your team.
If you want the whole scoop on how to work through overdoing it, tune in to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and come hang out with me inside The Knee Replacement Hub. You don’t have to figure this out alone.
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