At the end of September, fitness influencer and muse Gracyanne Barbosa was injured when she ruptured a tendon in her left knee during a performance on Dança dos Famosos, as part of the Domingão com Huck program. She had to undergo surgery and is now recovering.
Gracyanne’s surgeon, Leonardo Metsavaht, told the program that the injury can happen to anyone, and not just those who maintain an athlete’s routine – as is the case of the influencer.
In an interview with GLOBO, Gracyanne says having a trained and prepared body with many years of exercise “made all the difference” in her recovery.
— If I hadn’t had all these foundations, I firmly believe that the injury could have been more serious, or the healing could have taken much longer, or maybe I wouldn’t be able to come back with the same quality. I’m very grateful for all the work I’ve done before, she says.
She continues to do light physical exercises, with little load and aimed at adaptation and recovery.
Check out the interview below:
How is the recovery going?
My body has always been active and I like to be in motion, that’s why I really dedicated myself with great care and patience to this moment which requires calm, strategy and respect for the process. I admit it’s not easy to stay still, but I’m learning a new way to relate to my body, to strength, to healing.
You shared on social media that you were already working out, which sparked a lot of criticism. How did those workouts go and what is your routine like today?
These are adapted workouts. They are very different from my usual hypertrophy training. Before, I focused on hypertrophy and always trained better. Now the focus is different: rehabilitation, recovery, mobility, rehabilitation. I say it’s “more boring” because, for me as a lifelong athlete, recovery training doesn’t have that feeling of challenge, growth or overcoming, but it is absolutely necessary for me to come back safe and sound. My routine is now well structured. I regularly undergo physical therapy several times a week – some days, up to two sessions – focusing on the affected leg, muscle rehabilitation and return of functionality.
How important is the physical structure and preparation you have followed over the years to your injury and recovery?
Without a doubt, already having a “trained” body made all the difference. When you have muscle, stamina, coordination and good body awareness, you have a strong foundation to resist trauma, compensate and initiate faster recovery. For me, this physical preparation was a “cushion”. I’m not saying it totally saved me from the injury, but it helped me have better recovery conditions, less downtime, less loss of function, less risk of complications. In addition to a conditioned body, having healthy habits, active muscles, a support system (physiotherapists, doctors) help a lot. If I hadn’t had all of these foundations, I firmly believe that the injury could have been more serious, or the recovery could have taken much longer, or maybe I wouldn’t have been able to come back with the same quality. I’m so grateful for all the work I’ve done before.
One of these adaptation exercises is “shock therapy” on the affected leg. How are they made?
We used stimulation techniques, with “shock” equipment in the sense of controlled intense stimulus, such as electrical stimulation (causes involuntary muscle contractions, with the aim of strengthening and toning the muscles, in addition to having therapeutic and aesthetic applications). I did it with a very gradual progression: first, activation of the muscles and the leg as a whole, then with light loads, third with minimal impact and finally with a heavier load. This strengthens the limb and does not lose strength. But everything is controlled to avoid relapses and always with the supervision of a professional.
What other types of exercises have you done for the affected leg?
I also do “cross effect” (training only one leg to preserve the strength and muscular conditioning of the injured leg, while the other recovers). It serves to maintain cardiovascular fitness, energy expenditure and active metabolism even if the leg is still “recovering”.
How long should you do these lighter adaptation workouts?
We are still being evaluated, it depends on many factors: speed of healing, response to physical therapy, medical clearance, absence of pain or swelling, full range of motion. This could take weeks or months. I don’t want to rush to avoid a relapse. My plan is as follows: first: an activation and support phase, second: a light load phase and finally a gradual return to “normal”. It may take 2-3 months, depending on how my body responds, but I’ll get back to full health as soon as I can.
What will be the first thing you do as soon as you can use your leg?
Sambar with my drums. I was at rehearsal, but it was so hard to hear that sound and stay still. Then, a complete leg workout, with this “leg day” that I love: squats, strides, lifts, with complete awareness and respect, of course. Finally, a party with family and friends, a barbecue, to celebrate healing.
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