1. Take It Slow and Low
It is never a good thing to blow out an ACL or suffer from a debilitating knee injury. But it is far worse to do too much too fast and re-injure the afflicted area. Be patient. Start off doing slow, controlled exercises at a slow pace. It is important not to do any high-impact maneuvers that can put you right back in intensive care where you started. The only race you are training for now is the race to recovery, in which everyone who finishes 100 percent healthy is a winner.
2. Back it Up
A great way to get a knee back in shape is to walk or jog uphill backwards. It is very hard but extremely effective. Your joints are safer than when you are running forward, and you recruit a lot more muscle fibers in the legs. Disregard any strange looks or finger points you might get from the neighbors or people in the gym. Eventually, they will follow your example and do the exact same thing.
3. Keep Both Sides Up
One of the biggest things you need to concern yourself with is re-strengthening the connective tissue around the knee and ankle. There is a good chance there has been a serious amount of atrophy there due to immobilization. To elaborate on connective tissue, this would consist of the tendons, ligaments and cartilage around the joints. Balance training is the best remedy for this problem. Try standing on a BOSU or balance discs on two feet, then progress to one. After you have mastered this, find a training partner or any passerby and do some medicine-ball passes while standing on top. The fun thing about the BOSU is that you can use it on either side. Just make sure to have a spotter when you start out, and progress slowly.
This type of exercise will help strengthen the connective tissue. It will work the smaller muscles on the bottom of the foot and around the ankles and knees, and it will also help prevent knee injuries from happening in the future. In the unfortunate event that another one should happen to occur, the rehab will be a lot faster. This type of training helps create more awareness of sport-specific situations that will also bleed into daily activities, such as walking on uneven surfaces.
4. Stay Safe and Impactful ... Without the Impact
If you have gained some unwanted pounds during your rehab and you want to crank your cardio up a notch, try doing anything that is non-impact. Elliptical trainers, stair masters and stationary bikes are all great tools. The joints remain safe, and nobody gets hurt.
It is never a good thing to blow out an ACL or suffer from a debilitating knee injury. But it is far worse to do too much too fast and re-injure the afflicted area. Be patient. Start off doing slow, controlled exercises at a slow pace. It is important not to do any high-impact maneuvers that can put you right back in intensive care where you started. The only race you are training for now is the race to recovery, in which everyone who finishes 100 percent healthy is a winner.
2. Back it Up
A great way to get a knee back in shape is to walk or jog uphill backwards. It is very hard but extremely effective. Your joints are safer than when you are running forward, and you recruit a lot more muscle fibers in the legs. Disregard any strange looks or finger points you might get from the neighbors or people in the gym. Eventually, they will follow your example and do the exact same thing.
3. Keep Both Sides Up
One of the biggest things you need to concern yourself with is re-strengthening the connective tissue around the knee and ankle. There is a good chance there has been a serious amount of atrophy there due to immobilization. To elaborate on connective tissue, this would consist of the tendons, ligaments and cartilage around the joints. Balance training is the best remedy for this problem. Try standing on a BOSU or balance discs on two feet, then progress to one. After you have mastered this, find a training partner or any passerby and do some medicine-ball passes while standing on top. The fun thing about the BOSU is that you can use it on either side. Just make sure to have a spotter when you start out, and progress slowly.
This type of exercise will help strengthen the connective tissue. It will work the smaller muscles on the bottom of the foot and around the ankles and knees, and it will also help prevent knee injuries from happening in the future. In the unfortunate event that another one should happen to occur, the rehab will be a lot faster. This type of training helps create more awareness of sport-specific situations that will also bleed into daily activities, such as walking on uneven surfaces.
4. Stay Safe and Impactful ... Without the Impact
If you have gained some unwanted pounds during your rehab and you want to crank your cardio up a notch, try doing anything that is non-impact. Elliptical trainers, stair masters and stationary bikes are all great tools. The joints remain safe, and nobody gets hurt.
