I suffered an ACL injury skiing in March 2020, along with a small fracture and various other injuries to the knee.
I was very active – playing competitive club tennis, running, hiking, cycling etc, – before my injury.
On the day the injury happened, all I could think was if I could play tennis again.
I followed a general rehabilitation programme and returned to walking and running virtually pain free, but 1 year later something still didn’t feel right and playing tennis was very limited.
I was also feeling very anxious and not enjoying tennis as I couldn’t perform how I wanted to, and I was worried about reinjury.
I was also avoiding any form of activity requiring change of direction or jumps etc.
My state of mind was quite negative and anxious.
This wasn’t normal for me when performing sport as I usually use sport as a relaxant.
I would walk to tennis shaking slightly and the worry was quite consuming.
Before starting the ACL knee injury rehab sessions, I was hesitant about any kind of change in direction and I was always worried about my knee giving way.
I wasn’t performing any form of plyometric movement (jumping, hopping, skipping, sidesteps).
I was running but didn’t try any form of sprinting or work on a treadmill.
On the tennis court I was extremely nervous about moving around the court, putting weight on my injured knee, and serving with full effort.
But all this changed for the better.
Working with a trainer who listens to your needs and goals at the start and then follows that all the way through without going off tangent was exactly what I wanted (and what I explained in our initial consultation) and this was delivered with 100% focus and dedication.
Jazz turned up early to every session and focused on my training throughout the session.
He also spent time out of the session following up on progress, sharing videos etc. which was not only motivating, but also an example of how much I had progressed.
Jazz’s ACL strengthening exercises were nothing like the physio exercises I had previously been prescribed.
Although I could walk and run, the physio exercises weren’t personalised to my goals and weren’t helping me returning to tennis at the level that I wanted to and with the confidence that I desired.
The ACL strengthening exercises Jazz customised for me were specific to my tennis goals, performed safely and depending on how my body was feeling that day, adapted when necessary.
Many exercises that we did at the beginning of the programme I was still performing in our last sessions, but to a noticeably higher level (increased reps, training intensity, better flexibility and coordination etc.) progressively building on strength and balance.
I was pushed physically but not in a dangerous way – Jazz’s customised approach helped me in a safe way to maximise my performance.
Nothing was introduced until I was prepared to perform the exercise and corrections were made throughout to ensure form was perfect.
He also listened to any movements I was hesitant about and introduced exercises to help with this; for example, I was nervous about running back for a smash on the tennis court and we worked on backwards running in a safe and focused way.
I now feel confident performing a variety of exercises requiring my knee to be balanced and strong, i.e., changing direction on the tennis court, running on uneven surfaces.
I also noticed a much better posture, I am standing taller, I have stronger legs and back, and more tone in my legs and upper body.
Confidence in my body shape has also increased – which was a bonus to the sessions.
I feel much happier about participating in sport, especially tennis, and confident in the strength of my knee.
And here are just a few exercises and movements which dramatically improved or have been restored.
- Change of direction on the tennis court
- Speed around the court
- Serving (using the leg to push off)
- Walking downstairs quickly
- All over upper body strength
- Leg flexibility
- Improved posterior strength and flexibility/rotation
- Ability to sprint consistently
- Confidence running on a treadmill
Overall, my confidence has tripled compared to the start of the programme.
My strength has increased by 200-300% and is greater than before my injury, whilst both the training intensity and my training volume have increased.
My training endurance is also at least double what it was when I started.
I can now perform a large number of deep lunges, side plank variations, up to 30 push ups in one session (I could only do about 3 or 4 when I started), core exercises to high numbers, sideways and forward hops, backwards running and sprinting.
Both my body coordination and flexibility has at least doubled, and I can now do leg kicks above my head and different types of spinal rotations exercises I couldn’t do before.
I now know that I can make a big difference in my strength and performance with consistent practice and training, and a lot of patience!
I feel a lot more confident in my ability and the possibility for recovery and returning to a high level with time, patience and practice!
I am now loving being back on the tennis court and have started playing matches again.
Emotionally I am feeling much happier, confident and fitter.
I recommend Jazz’s customised approach to everyone who wants to successfully recover after a knee injury, transform their body and fitness, return to competitive tennis and high-level sports where the knee is in high demand.
And here are just a few of my reasons which make Jazz very different from other trainers in London and make him stand out.
- Personalized plan tailored to your needs
- Care over injury and no risk or reinjury
- Knowledge of the full body rather than just focusing on the ACL knee injury
- Motivation in every session without risking anything
- Follow up videos/feedback to ensure we’re on the same page
- Every session he asked how I was feeling, any niggles etc to ensure training was safe
- My whole-body strength and speed have increased at least threefold
- Every session was varied with new exercises introduced as strength/confidence was built
- No unnecessary/unsafe exercises were performed
- Sharp eye on tiny misalignments and subsequent correction to get the most out of training
- Professional throughout every stage of the journey
- Understanding of the mental side of my injury journey
Nikki Withers – 4th August 2021 –
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