I Didn’t Push Through the Pain— And That’s Why I Got Stronger
We had just arrived in Montreal and were excited to explore. It was our first night, the weather was perfect, and we were walking through the older part of the city—cobblestone streets, brick sidewalks, everything charming and slightly uneven.
I had on a pair of cute platform shoes. I stepped where the cobblestone met the brick—and down I went.
My husband caught my arm before I fully hit the ground, but my knee still took the worst of it. It swelled up right away and hurt more the longer I walked. I was frustrated. The city was beautiful, and I didn't want to miss out. But what surprised me more than the fall was what happened after.
The Mental Side of Recovery
The pain faded slowly—but the hesitation stuck around.
As the swelling went down, I noticed something else: I was scanning every sidewalk, stepping carefully, holding back. Even when the pain started to ease, I couldn't stop thinking about each step. I was moving differently.
Some people might stop altogether after something like this. Others keep going and hope the pain just gives up. I chose something different.
Finding the Middle Path
I kept moving—but I didn’t push it. I walked, just not as far. I exercised, but stayed just below the pain point. I stayed active without making things worse.
That choice to keep moving gently made all the difference. And it’s what I talk about in my Essentrics classes all the time: the value of movement that supports recovery instead of delaying it.
How Essentrics Helped Me Rebuild Trust
Even after the pain faded, I still hesitated. That surprised me.
It took repetition, patience, and full-body training to rebuild my normal stride. And I’m grateful for Essentrics—where foot strength, ankle mobility, posture, balance, and reaction time are all part of the method.
What makes Essentrics different is that it doesn’t push you to your limit. It meets you where you are. You work within a range that feels doable and gradually expand what you can handle—without triggering pain responses or reinforcing guarded movement.
As I kept practicing, my confidence returned. My stride felt smoother. I wasn’t bracing anymore. I wasn’t holding back.
Small Shifts That Made a Big Difference
Yes, I also changed my footwear habits. Those cute platforms? They’re reserved for predictable surfaces now. When I’m exploring, I wear something stable. But the biggest shift wasn’t in my shoes. It was in how I approached recovery.
This isn’t a suggestion to ignore serious injuries—always check with a doctor first. But if you’re cleared to move and want to do it without guessing what’s too much, there is another way.
What Stayed With Me
There’s a difference between working hard and pushing through pain. One builds trust and strength. The other creates tension and compensation patterns that make things worse.
When we push through pain, we often create habits that limit movement. But when we move just at the edge of comfort—not over it—we give our bodies the conditions they need to get stronger, steadier, and more confident.
You don’t need to push harder. You need a way to move that doesn’t make you flinch.
That’s what I practice. That’s what I teach.
And I’m here to help if you're ready to build strength that lasts—from the ground up.
If you’re curious how this kind of movement feels in real life, I teach livestream and in-studio Essentrics classes designed to build strength, balance, and confidence—without pushing through pain. You can check out class times here.