Be an Active Participant in Your Recovery: What You Can Do at Home to Heal Better After Injury or Surgery

Recovery from an injury or surgery isn’t something that just happens to you, it’s something you can actively influence. Your surgeon, physical therapist, and healthcare team guide the medical side of the process. But the daily choices you make at home can dramatically impact how quickly and how well you heal.

Why Your Role Matters

Even with a skilled surgical team and a strong rehab plan, your body still needs the right environment to recover. That means:

• Giving your tissues the nutrients they need to repair
• Moving in ways that promote healing without causing harm
• Following post-op or rehab guidelines closely
• Avoiding habits that slow recovery, like smoking or skipping meals

When you take ownership of these areas, you become an active partner in your recovery — and that can mean faster progress, fewer complications, and better long-term results.

At-Home Recovery Checklist

1. Fuel Your Recovery with the Right Nutrition

Your body uses amino acids, vitamins, and minerals to repair muscle, bone, skin, and connective tissue. If you’re not getting enough of the right nutrients, your healing slows down.

Research shows that essential amino acid supplementation before and after surgery can reduce muscle loss, improve strength recovery, and enhance functional outcomes [2][3][4].

Key points:

• Eat protein at every meal — aim for 30–40g
• Include colorful vegetables and fruits for antioxidant and vitamin support
• Stay hydrated — water helps deliver nutrients to tissues

Pro Tip: The first 2–4 weeks after surgery or injury are critical. Taking a targeted recovery supplement like XR® during this time ensures you’re getting optimal doses of leucine-rich essential amino acids, myHMB®, creatine, and healing nutrients like arginine, citrulline, and vitamins A, C, and D.

2. Use the 20-Minute Post-Exercise Window

If you’re in physical therapy or doing home exercises, what you do right after matters. For about 20–30 minutes after activity, your muscles are primed to absorb nutrients and kick-start repair — this is called the anabolic window.

Studies in both sports and surgical recovery show that timely intake of high-quality protein and EAAs after exercise maximizes muscle protein synthesis and reduces breakdown [1][3][4].

• Have your recovery nutrition ready and take it immediately after your PT session or home workout
• This supports muscle repair, reduces breakdown, and helps you make faster progress

3. Follow Your Rehab Plan Consistently

• Do your assigned home exercises exactly as prescribed
• Use proper form to avoid setbacks
• Communicate with your PT or surgeon if you experience pain that feels different than expected

4. Protect the Healing Area

• Follow weight-bearing or movement restrictions
• Use braces, slings, or supports as directed
• Avoid pushing too hard, too soon, healing tissues need time to strengthen

5. Support Your Immune System

• Get enough sleep, aim for 7–9 hours
• Manage stress with relaxation techniques, deep breathing, or meditation
• Limit alcohol and avoid smoking, both of which impair healing

Why XR® Fits Into This Plan

When your goal is to get back to work, family, and activities you love, every day counts. XR® is designed to support your recovery alongside your surgeon’s and PT’s care plan.

One serving delivers:

• Leucine-rich EAAs to activate muscle protein synthesis [3][4]
• myHMB® to reduce muscle breakdown [2]
• Creatine for strength gains and muscle energy
• Collagen-supporting nutrients (arginine, citrulline, vitamin C) for tendons, ligaments, and skin
• Key vitamins and minerals for immune and wound healing support

Because it’s NSF Certified for Sport®, it’s safe, clean, and trusted by healthcare providers.

The Takeaway

Your healthcare team provides the roadmap, but you decide how well you follow it. By combining expert medical care with smart choices at home, you can speed your recovery, lower your risk of complications, and get back to the life you love.

Be an active participant. Fuel your body. Stay consistent. Protect your progress. Your recovery starts with you.

Learn more about how XR® supports recovery after surgery or injury

References
[1] Lees et al. Nutrients. 2020;12(2):528. doi:10.3390/nu12020528
[2] Ueyama H, Arimitsu T, Hashimoto T, et al. Perioperative Essential Amino Acid Supplementation Mitigates Muscle Atrophy After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. JBJS Am. 2023;105(5):394-403. doi:10.2106/JBJS.22.00541
[3] Hendrickson NR, DePhillipo NN, Aman ZS, et al. Conditionally Essential Amino Acid Supplementation Attenuates Muscle Atrophy After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JBJS Am. 2022;104(9):810-817. doi:10.2106/JBJS.21.00697
[4] Ueyama H, Arimitsu T, Fujita S, et al. Essential Amino Acid Supplementation Reduces Muscle Volume Loss After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Bone Joint J. 2020;102-B(6):719-727. doi:10.1302/0301-620X.102B6.BJJ-2019-1393.R1