Here’s a quick update on my knee-hab (knee rehab) progress. It’s taken a while to work up to this, and it’s a goal I don’t always hit, but I shoot for it.
I’m so thankful I haven’t had to wear a knee brace yet, nor felt any knee instability (the jelly-like wobbling of the knee because of twisting) since the injury.
You might be one of the many people who warned me to get my right knee &
leg as strong and flexible as possible before surgery because it will
hugely help the post-op rehab. Here it is:
Aerobic
1. Stationary Bike 1 hour (up to 100 rpms)
2. Ice right knee 30 minutes
Strengthening
1. 25 lunges – toughest exercise; I’m pretty cautious
2. 50 squats
3. 100 toe raises
4. 50 standing side kicks
5. 50 standing back kicks
6. 50 standing knee curls
7. 100 flutter kicks
8. 100 counts heel into ground
9. Ice right knee 30 minutes
Stretching
1. Extension – Straighten leg, ankle propped on towel
2. Flexion – Slide heel slowly under body to flex
Improving daily. No prayer, no gain. And no pain, no gain.
One rehab excercise I’ve found helpful in the past is to stretch out on the couch while quickly pressing the remote control keys. Once you get good at that, you might also try it while beckoning to your wife to bring you a cold drink.
I’ve been told that, after surgery, I’m not going to be doing much besides propping my leg up and needing everything brought to me!
You do more exercise INJURED, than I do healthy!!
Excellent exercise program…2 questions though 1) what are flutter kicks? and 2) who told you that awful story about propping your leg up and needing everything brought to you??? It’s more like 100 squats, 100 knee bends..spoken like a TRUE physical terrorist:)
(1) Flutter kicks? A kicking movement where you lie on your back, with your hands under the hips, and the chin tucked to the chest. The legs are then raised 6 inches off the ground, and then alternately moved up and down. Check out: http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/strength/flutter_kicks.htm
(2) Brad did! Just trying to minister to me. 🙂
(3) 100 squats and knee bends? Ugh! 🙂