A Boring ‘Post PT’ Post…
I met with my PT yesterday and got the run down on what I need to be doing for my knees. No running until Friday, but if I do my exercises (which I am being religious about) I should be able to do my normal 3.5 mile loop then. The next weekend I will be out doing that ‘living history’ thang - not so great for the knees due to poor insoles and uneven ground, I should probably get more insoles for my faire shoes - and then one more run on Tuesday AM before heading back in to see my PT for a follow up.
The Work:
Shallow Knee Bends- stand on one leg and do small ‘squats’ where the knee does not pass beyond the toes (this means only about 5” of overall ‘squat’ movement’). The goal is to do 2 sets of 20 reps on each leg. I can already do this, so I am focusing on going slow and making sure that my weight is not balanced forward (should be back, like I am preparing to sit on a chair).
Pelvic Thrusts (“That Really Drives You In-ssaa-ay-ay-aaane!”) - Eh hem. Lay on back with arms at sides and shoulders relaxed. Place feet/ankles on balance ball. Tighten abs and slowly raise pelvis from floor, rolling up through spine, until body is in the ‘plank’ position (suspended between ankles on ball and shoulders on floor in a straight line). Once this gets easy, place feet on ball so that legs are in a 90 degree ‘seated’ position, complete the same thrust movement. 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps.
Upper Body with Balance - My regular upper body workout with free weights, done on one leg for balance. As much as I can.
I am hopeful, I can see how the movements she has given me will reinforce both my knees and ankles and will get me to do more stretching. All good!
The most important bit? She specifically said there was no reason to expect that I wouldn’t be running for a good, long time to come.
*w00t!*