Hey everyone!
Let’s pool together our collective knee wisdom and help a fellow reader out. He recently commented in the “All About Knee” section, and I wanted to bring it to the forefront to get your opinions.
Here’s his comment:
I had patellar graft on June 19th from my left knee and i am back jogging in straight line this week(week15) twice a week.I am in the gym 3 nites a week as well which starts with 20 mins intense on bike and think continuous work on my quads and hamstrings.My left quad is till very light compared to my good lef so my physio suggested i push more now with my left leg.I have slight pain after jogging now but its not too bad.
Has anybody got any good tips on how to increase quad and hamstring muscle bar the usual leg press and leg curl machines.
I’m not a physio so I can only tell you the exercises I’ve done:
Lunges – forward, back, side to side,
This video explains the proper way to do them:
Those will work the hammies and quads, but eventually it won’t be enough to equal the other side. After that I did lots of one legged squats. (making sure the knee doesn’t go past the toes). One set with the right leg forward (you’ll have to hold onto an object), and one set with the right leg behind.
Another hammy routine was kneeling on a bed (facing the bed with just the feet hanging off)and someone holding onto your ankles. With a straight back lean forward as far as you can and pull yourself back. Be careful with this one as it can really strain the hammies.
I would think his physio should be able to give him these routines though… so make sure he talks to his physio before doing them.
Hope that helps!
I found going up and down stairs effective, and the elliptical machine.
I do interval training on the bike and run up and down stairs (well, run up and walk quickly down). Both are good for quads and glutes.
I had the same issue, I’m almost 7 months now. I was running on the treadmil, and I would get some nasty patella pain. It was cause I was not planting properly, I was jogging on my toes. Once I started to do more single leg work, like wall squats, and single leg squats, and non weighted squats. I realized my gait was bad, I started to correct my jogging, and the pain went away. Just slow down, and learn technique before you start to frustrate, and ask your physio, that is what they are there for.