05/07/2025
For the last two years, I’ve been dealing with knee pain. Intially it was sharp, intense, scary - I couldn't squat or lunge or take the stairs.
But with everything I know about pain and the biopsychosocial model, I didn’t rush for imaging. Most tissues heal with time, and with patience and appropriate load, I had confidence that mine would too.
But then it hung around. It became sticky. It would flare at random times (the most interesting being during a lecture about Knee Osteoarthritis.....that's a story for another time)
Still, I’d been subconsciously avoiding loading my knee. I kept modifying exercises out of habit — not necessarily pain. The expectation of pain stuck around long after the intense pain itself had faded.
Fast forward to today:
🔹 32 back squats at 30kg
🔹 No pain
🔹 Solid form
🔹 Full confidence
30kg may not sound impressive. But after 2 years of worry and avoidance - this feels like a big win.
And funnily enough, just *last week* the knee was still giving me grief. So what changed?
Not my knee.
My *context*.
✅ A sunny morning after a week of rain
✅ Stress levels finally down (taking my own advice and adhering to breathing exercises regularly)
✅ A few work wins after some not so great weeks.
✅ Good sleep, good food, good people.
✅ A work team dinner that filled my cup last night
✅ And a gym playlist that spoke directly to my millennial soul (What is Love x Flaunt It? 10/10, Lydia)
Pain is complex. It’s not just about tissue. It’s about your environment, your mood, your stress, your *brain*.
Today was a reminder of how much context matters — and how much capacity we have when our nervous system feels safe.
More to come on the squatting comeback 💪
Thanks to Moving through motherhood and trainer extraordinnaire Lydia for the support, environment and encouraging context!
