So excited for 4 months! Running, lateral movement, jumping.. I feel a lot stronger, and adding on more movements in my workouts is definitely more freeing. I couldn’t wait until my PT appointment this week and RAN last Friday… and Monday. I ran for 5 minutes on Friday, and 10 on Monday on the treadmill. It felt great! I was grinning the whole time I ran I was so happy 🙂 There was a little swelling maybe on Friday, but none on Monday when I ran. My knee honestly feels great! I am wondering if waiting longer for my knee to heal has caused less problems with returning to running.

Pre-Surgery – I can run again!!! Working towards running in races again (and being that tan!)

4 months Post-Op Summary

• Had my quad & hamstring strength measured in the Cybex machine – and good news! My left leg isn’t that much weaker than my right! First, my right leg was tested. The first round, I had to kick up and kick back as hard as I could 10 times while sitting down to test strength. I got a 20 second break, then I had to do the kicks again, with a lighter resistance, to test endurance. This was then repeated on my left side. The report showed that my right quad was stronger/I could kick forward with more force than my left (left leg was about 85% compared to right knee @ 100%). However, my left hamstring was stronger than my right! (right leg was about 90% compared to left @ 100%). Based on the results, I was cleared to run (even though I had already ran the week before :))
• I can run 1-2 miles every other day or so… only on the treadmill (outside the level of terrain changes, so it is more stress on my knee, especially since I haven’t run for 4 months)
• My gait is normal, no favoring of my left leg
• Left IT band is a little sore, but stretching & using a foam roller helps!
• Knee feels great! still not as stable as my right – some clicking and cracking here and there, but the swelling has decreased considerably. My flexion gets better and better everyday.
• Lots of handstands and Yoga going down at my house… Everything gets easier week by week!
• I start cardio workouts at work next week, and I feel more confident to jump around and run now 🙂
• Still using Solomon’s seal salve on my knee – I usually top with peppermint oil to help drive in the salve, sometimes adding in some wintergreen and lemongrass.
• Icing at least 1x a day

PT Exercises/Workouts

• Elliptical at the beginning of my workouts, 5 minutes
• Cybex Test
• Run on treadmill for 5 minutes
• Agility ladder work on the floor
• High knees across gym
• Butt kicks across gym
• Hopping over lines forwards/side to side
• Exercises in previous posts
• Stretching after every workout
• Bikram Yoga/Yoga (1x a week, if I can find time)
• Workout classes

Next week I start my Spanish tutoring again, as well as workout classes at work. It will be hard to fit my yoga classes and running in, but I am excited for so much newness happening! It’s almost June, my birthday month, plus warm weather, my cousin is moving back to Ohio soon and a trip to Costa Rica is planned for July. It’s easy to stay motivated when there are so many things in my life to be grateful for. I can look at my knee surgery/recovery time as something terrible, but so much good has come from it! I have been able to help others and meet new friends all across the world going through the same surgery, learned to slow down and listen to my body, am really focusing on yoga now… There are things I missed out on, but I look back and realize that I was directed towards even better things/situations/people because of my surgery! Truly a blessing 🙂

Dr. Wayne W. Dyer – Amazing opportunities arise from the storms!

Hope everyone is having a great week! Until next time,

Nina

Improve your range of motion, increase your strength, and feel more confident post-surgery with a 2 month yoga progression plan.