Ok so you’re all probably sick of reading about my knees now, but in case anyone who is going through the same ordeal stumbles across my blog they’ll at least have some info to work with.

I had another appointment with the physio today, who has again added to the list of exercises I have to do on a daily basis. The list now comprises of:

1. Dual contraction - basically you stand with one leg forward (just a tad) as if you were going to do a lunge. Tighten both your hamstring and your quadricep, and lower yourself down (so your knee goes above your toes), then stand back up again. Both muscles should be working during this exercise.
2. Straight leg – not sure of the official title, but lying on the floor you have to tighten your quadricep, then push the back of your knee into the floor. Should only go as far as you can without pain, then release. This is helping to get my leg back into the straight position permanently (as I can’t straighten my leg at the moment at all).
3. Swinging legs - again, not sure of the official title. Sitting on the edge of a desk, table etc, swing your leg underneath you (like you did when you were kids). First time I did this it felt like I could barely push it at all, but as the weeks go by it’s easy to see the difference in how much I can swing my leg. The weight of the foot helps with resistence as well, and eventually you’ll be able to bend your knee much easier on a regular basis. This exercise has been helping me manage to walk up stairs again.
4. Squats - Standing with your legs shoulder width apart, gently squat down so your shins remain almost verticle, and your bum is sticking out behind you. Make sure you keep your back straight (although you can lean forward – just make sure you don’t curve your back or hunch over). The best way to imagine this exercise is as if you were going to sit down on an invisible chair behind you.
5. Calf raises – Stand on the edge of a raised surface (stairs are fantastic for this) on your tip toes. Your heels should be able to drop to a lower height. Going from the heels at their lowest point, raise yourself until you are on your tip toes, then drop down again. Going slow helps with these – it means you get more of an impact. It’s easy to feel this exercise working after a few reps.
6. Lunges - standing one foot in front of you, one foot behind withyour the rear leg bent, lower yourself down. Your rear leg will eventually reach a right angle shape going down and back out behind you. Most of your weight should be on the front leg, and your shin should remain verticle. This works your hamstrings, you should feel them as you come back up working hard. These are great for your ass too! Woohoo
7. One legged squat – standing on a raised surface again, with your other foot hanging over the drop. Standing on one foot, lower yourself down until your other foot touches the ground (don’t put any weight on it though), then raise yourself back up. This works the quadricep, and your shins don’t have to remain verticle. One point to note is that when you’re going down, you should be able to see the big toe of your foot that you’re standing on. If you can’t, you will need to make sure that as you go down your knee moves straight ahead, and doesn’t go to one of either sides.

And that’s it! I have to do all of those  several times a day until surgery. Thankfully, I can use my blog as my checklist until it’s committed to memory. Working on strengthening all the muscles will mean a faster recovery period, and easier rehab. So why not put in the hard work now!!

No related posts.