Exercises That Work
Knee Rehab:
As some you may know I had my second ACL reconstruction done
last February. However, it was not
the same knee as my first. Both of
my grafts healed strong and I was back to playing sports as soon as possible
and skiing well again after about 8 months after the first one.
This second time around has been even faster, which they say
is common for the second go around with knee surgery. I do not mean to go against anything your Physician or
Physical Therapist tells you, their words matter the most. However, I can share with you the little
routine I developed for the 2-5 month range of exercises that can be done in
your bed or living room. As you
get stronger you can add ankle weights or do more reps.
Here is the routine, it may take some time to work up to it:
50 Body-Weight Squats
100 Sit-ups, half normal, half alternating right hand over
left knee and visa versa
100 Double Leg Bridges or 50 single leg bridges for each leg
50 Leg Extensions (add 5 lb ankle weight when ready)
100 Leg Lifts in each of the 4 directions (add 5 lb ankle
weight when ready) Demonstration of leg lift from Aurora Healthcare: http://www.aurorahealthcare.org/FYWB_pdfs/x09098.pdf
15 Dead Leg Lifts, with a medicine ball when ready
50 Push-Ups
3 min Wall Sits
This is a great, quick routine that can dramatically
increase your leg and core strength when done everyday. If you have a knee injury or surgery
doing as much of this as possible will greatly speed your recovery, especially
when combined with normal physical therapy. I found that acupuncture and massage also greatly speed the
process.
Good Luck and God Bless!
-Colin Griffith
