First season post ACL surgery

[ApresExpert]

Hello! I am 41F and about 8 most post ACL surgery. I am now an advanced level skier, but it took some time to get to that level because my lack of confidence was holding me back (mental blocker vs ability). I am curious to hear about your experiences getting back to skiing after a knee surgery. Any tips?

 

[beane]

Hello! I am 41F and about 8 most post ACL surgery. I am now an advanced level skier, but it took some time to get to that level because my lack of confidence was holding me back (mental blocker vs ability). I am curious to hear about your experiences getting back to skiing after a knee surgery. Any tips?

What kind of tips? Most people suggest lighter/narrower skis. Don't push yourself too much until you feel comfortable. Knee braces are psychological but some people like them. The best thing you can do is lots and lots of strength training with an ACL specialist rehab person (imo).

 

[HuntersEmma57]

I haven't had surgeries, but two very painful, severe knee sprains (DIN setting was wrong and the binding did not release). Check and recheck your DIN setting and consider having it set to release easier.

I was an early adopter of active recovery (due in part to being very antsy and, at the time, living in a 4 level townhouse).

A stationary bike and stairs were key to my recovery. In the beginning I had to gently lift my injured leg up and go up and down steps like a toddler (getting both feet on the same step before starting the next one).

Obvious things were avoiding heels and wearing flat, nonslip soles.

On my home stationary bike, set at zero resistance, I used my hands to assist the wounded leg up to make the first painful cycle. The first day I made 10 aided revolutions. The next day 25. The third day, I was able to make revolutions unassisted. A month later I was back on skis and within a week reinjured my first sprain. Too soon. It hurt worse the 2nd time, but oddly, I recovered faster (maybe I trusted the process?). I was back on skis before the end of the season, but slow and easy.

I avoided icy days (not easy out East). No hockey stops. I know I freaked out and limited side slipping for a while. I definitely believe that wearing a lighter boot and using lighter/shorter ski helped.

Your PT should be able to recommend movements are better or riskier. My PT was not familiar with skiing, so find one who is. I wore a couple of different braces and definitely concur they were more psychological than physiological help.

Biggest assets were patience and persistence. And still it took 3 years before I stopped thinking about my "bad" knee. Cycling is the very best thing ever for rehabbing and strengthening knees.

Good luck!!

 

[Peaheartsmama]

Im about 7-8 years out from both ACLs being reconstructed. (Tore them one year after the next skiing) i have been skiing with my donjoy braces ever since. I know they are probably just a crutch at this point but i like them and feel bare without them. i understand what it does to your confidence and i think its kept me at a terminal green/light blue wedge skiier since, despite lessons and womens camps. That said this year im determined to progress solidly into blues and signed myself up for a seasonal program. While i will never aspire to do blacks for fun it has already done wonders for my confidence and form. I even made my way down a race course(!!) last weekend. I also made an effort to really work out and be physically fit going into the season and its been GREAT. I can actually ski all day now when i used to be done by lunch time. So lots of milage and strength training, and lessons. And keep skiing!

 

[Peaheartsmama]

Oh and i ski on short, narrower skis. And i mostly avoid days with bad conditions. (Though I learned to ski ice last weekend during the lessons! Great confidence booster too!)

 

[marzNC]

Hello! I am 41F and about 8 most post ACL surgery. I am now an advanced level skier, but it took some time to get to that level because my lack of confidence was holding me back (mental blocker vs ability). I am curious to hear about your experiences getting back to skiing after a knee surgery. Any tips?

Welcome! When did you finish PT? What region do you ski in the most?

My knee situation in 2012 was such that I opted to be a coper without ACL reconstruction surgery. Losing the ACL had nothing to do with skiing. I got shorter and slightly narrower skis for the first season. I was an adventurous intermediate over 50 back then. What made the biggest difference was finding ways to take lessons on a more regular basis. The first step was to work on bad habits, which took a few seasons. After that I continued with lessons in various ways because I could tell it would make skiing more fun in the coming decades.

 

[diymom]

My PT said to wait a full year from surgery. That said, I think I was maybe about 10 months out. I wanted to get back out before the date of my accident, mostly as a mental thing. That first year DH made me promise to stick to greens. And I also stuck to my lightest skis. I definitely did not want anything heavy on the lift, especially without a footrest. I'll echo what someone already said above, working on leg strength with your PT is key. I slacked after my insurance cut me off, assuming all was good. But last year I quickly discovered that my wonky leg wasn't as strong as I thought it was. No soreness or pain anywhere, but that leg fatigued quicker. And if you were injured while skiing, be kind to yourself when you get back on the hill.

 

[Kimmyt]

6 months out here, taking the season off (not missing much anyway out here) but following this for next year....

 

[HikenSki]

I tore my ACL in spring 2022, had surgery and got cleared to ski the following spring provided I stuck to the greens and took it easy. I was an advanced intermediate when I got injured and am now, four years later, a very cautious intermediate skier. When I returned it was as if I had forgotten how to ski. So many tears were shed. Sometimes I’d get out of my head and remember for a few turns what it was like to ski, and then I’d be right back to pizza freaking out about a steeper green section. Like @Peaheartsmama above, it has been more of a mental challenge to return to the sport than physical. I am more fit now then I ever was before my injury, I am religious about my strength training and still wear my brace for that extra support (more so because I am so afraid of someone hitting me). I bought shorter narrower beginner skis and took a women’s multi-lesson program. Last year I was finally able to get down the run where I injured myself. I cried when I got to the bottom. It was not graceful but I did it. I am starting to be able to drive my stiffer 91 width Kore skis, but I can feel that stiffness and width in my bad knee after a day out. I really enjoy my Blaze 82 skis (they are light and forgiving).

I am becoming more confident and support from my DH to keep taking lessons really helps. I will be taking the Okemo WAA program in two weeks during our weeklong visit (super excited our trip happened to line up completely by chance). I hope to be able to ski the blacks with my husband again someday. With our kiddo (5 1/2) now getting into the sport, it’s fun showing him that event adults take lessons, fall down and get back up, and that we can do hard things. So to you I say, go out there and have fun but give yourself some grace If it takes longer to return to sport.

 

[Sallydog]

Hello! I am 41F and about 8 most post ACL surgery. I am now an advanced level skier, but it took some time to get to that level because my lack of confidence was holding me back (mental blocker vs ability). I am curious to hear about your experiences getting back to skiing after a knee surgery. Any tips?

ACL recovery sucks, so BIG congratulations on getting through your rehab journey. I've had a front row seat supporting my three kids' through six knee surgeries, and went through a tough shoulder surgery recovery myself. Mental factor is huge. At home we talk about recovery as a three legged stool – time, milestones, mental readiness – and that each person's recovery is different from another person's. I tend to amass links to research studies that might help my kids feel ok about all this. Here's one that's skier specific. Monitoring the Return to Sport Transition After ACL Injury: An Alpine Ski Racing Case Study

 

[gourmetJo]

Six years Post ACL surgery. I tore my ACL one hour after we started skiing on an awesome powder day at Sunday River after New Years. I completely understand the mental part holding you back. The hesitation was there for me as well, I kept getting into my own head worrying that it was going to happen again. I agree that taking some lessons or finding a women's program is a good idea to help focus on the things you can control. I think a women's program will talk about the mental challenges women face after surgery or an accident. Guys just don't seem to deal with these issues as much. I think it's just in our DNA because my husband and my boys said just get out there and ski, you know how to ski. I did a women's clinic last year and it really helped me regain my confidence. My husband has noticed a real difference in my skiing as a result. Now I'm hooked and want to do more clinics. I need to retire....LOL

I always concentrate on leg strength and lateral stability exercises going into ski season. It's not just important to have strong legs but strong lateral knee stability. I follow a Physical Therapist online who directs his training and recovery specifically for skiing. I find a lot of what he talks about very helpful.

Ski Specific Training & Rehab | Greg Louie on Instagram: "Add these 3️⃣ exercises to ski stronger this season Squat hops - 3 sets of 30 Agility hops - 3 sets of 20 Wall sits - 3 sets of 45sec Want my help to ski stronger? Join the Legaski SNOW win

700 likes, 11 comments - the_ski_pt on January 10, 2026: "Add these 3️⃣ exercises to ski stronger this season Squat hops - 3 sets of 30 Agility hops - 3 sets of 20 Wall sits - 3 sets of 45sec Want my help to ski stronger? Join the Legaski SNOW winter cohort! ☃️ In the SNOW program, not only...

www.instagram.com

 

[echo_VT]

I am back to skiing after a hip surgery. My early season was mostly bunny hill runs and just one run with lots of breaks.

Friends that had knee surgery had a longer time before returning to sport but they worked on their knees like 1-2 hours a day to get back to sport more quickly and be super strong before returning to sport. They still see gains 2 years post surgery as well.

For me: So much rehab. Before my surgery last year I also did a ton of prehab to strengthen surrounding muscles before going under. It helped but yes, it won’t be as strong as it needs to be for awhile. Before ski season started I also did ski conditioning classes for about 2 months (cleared by my surgeon and PT) — but with almost all the exercises modified. It helped a lot but fatigue was real (usually I have a full hiking season and full mountain biking season going into ski season, but this time I couldn’t do a 4 mile walk without feeling it and had to limit myself to 3 mile walks in the fall). I only recently got cleared to jump.

friends with knee surgery would do all kinds of exercises and when we’d visit we’d help them with prepping some of their workouts for them. It seemed like nearly a full year, and even then, when on hill they dialed it way back. I’d recommend talking to your surgeon and PT and get their thoughts. They can provide much better advice as they can see you physically and can follow up too.

IME the smaller increments returning to sport, the better. Then wait a day to two days and make sure the body is okay. Then repeat. Slow is smooth. Take no chances at a possible regression and back off more often than not, as needed.

 

[marzNC]

IME the smaller increments returning to sport, the better. Then wait a day to two days and make sure the body is okay. Then repeat. Slow is smooth. Take no chances at a possible regression and back off more often than not, as needed.

Good point!

Ironically, the fact that my home hill is in the southeast probably made it easier to return to skiing. There is no off-piste terrain. Often in January only one trail has enough snow to build bumps. The runs are short, meaning an intermediate can be at the base of a lift in under five minutes even when stopping 2-3 times on the way down. So joining group lessons and practicing fundamentals was more likely to happen than if my home mountain had over 200 acres of skiable terrain. I also learned where to practice more advanced skills on greens or easy blues for a few turns.

 

[Kimmyt]

I was just about to come on here and start a thread about ACL recoveries. I feel like there are a bunch of us who are dealing w them but surprised there is no big thread! I mostly see posts about coping without an ACL, but its nice to just be able to chat about the process of rehabbing and returning to sport.

I'd love input on exercises everyone feels have been beneficial to them in eventually returning to sport. Right now I'm doing a few strength days a week and a few agility days a week. Focusing on a lot of one legged exercises to target imbalances and really trying to build glute and hamstring strength.

 

[diymom]

Last year when I thought I was ready I found that my hamstring on my wonky side fatigued more easily, so I focused a little more on that during the off season. My "tell" that I discovered last season was having a hard time clicking into my bindings on that side if I skied too many consecutive days.

 

[Peaheartsmama]

ive been continuing to do 2 sessions of PT midweek while doing 2 days of lessons (via seasonal program) each weekend. Goal has been to continue to build strength in arms and legs. One thing i do a lot of is work on the bosu ball flipped upside down so the round end is down. Weighted squats, pull downs and palov presses etc all on the bosu trying to keep my body tipped forward (like the shin to boot feeling) while doing it. I think its helped my legs and core a lot. Also RDLs are my way of guaging how much progress im making. It used to be really awkward and sloppy and now they feel more stable.

 

[Peaheartsmama]

We also do a lot of lunges and hipthrusts and i focus on increasing load even if that means less reps (usually 6-10)