Whether you strained your back, sprained or tore a muscle or have any other injury, at Revolution Training in Stamford, CT we modify your workout to match your needs. There are exercises and modifications that can be made, which allow you to workout with a knee injury, too. Meeting your special needs is a top priority. If you’re working out at home, here are some tips to help you do that.
Keep your muscles loose.
Knee injuries often require you to sit, keeping any stress off your knee. Your doctor will make that determination. Always listen to his or her advice. While you’re letting your knee recuperate, you can work on other parts of you body. Assisted pull-ups are a good start. A seated overhead shoulder press, seated row, incline dumbbell press, lateral pulldowns and seated shoulder presses can also help retain upper body strength. Again, even though you’re not working your knee, check with your doctor to make sure it’s okay.
When the doctor says you’re ready, take it slow.
Stretches are not only good for warming up, they’re excellent exercises to start building a muscle that had no exercise due to an injury. If you’ve had a cast, stretches are doubly important. You want to work all the muscles, but not too hard. Keep it simple and start with a knee straightener. You’ll be amazed at how tough it is to do. Sit in a chair with both feet flat on the floor. Start by lifting one leg, exhaling during the process of rising and exhaling as you lower it. Then do the other leg. You can modify it by doing the exercise standing or laying on your back. If you’re having a problem lifting, it’s okay to use your hands to help the leg lift. Quad, hamstring and calf stretches are excellent, too.
Avoid pressure on the knee, particularly when you first get back into exercise.
There are lower body workouts that don’t put pressure on the knee that you can add. Leg lifts, crunches and heel raises done with resistance bands are a few exercises that don’t put pressure on the knee. An excellent exercise, even before you’re ready to put pressure on your knee, swimming can be a great way to get your cardio. Depending on your injury, bicycling or a stationary bike can be a good exercise.
- Working out will help you heal faster, since it boosts circulation. It also helps prevent weight gain that can add extra pressure on the joints. While it has been said previously, always check with your health care professional before doing any exercise.
- If you feel pain in your knee, rest. Listen to your body, it’s trying to tell you that there’s too much strain on the knee. Take a rest or work on a different part of the body.
- You need to improve your range of motion, particularly after an injury that limited movement for a while. Try using resistance bands. Start with front leg extensions with no bands and work toward bands or leg weights.
- You can work with a personal trainer to get the muscle back into shape or get a program you can do to maintain your fitness while you’re healing.
For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training