Injuring yourself is generally painful and then frustrating. In many cases, you’ll have to stop doing the activity you’ve been enjoying and follow a specific treatment plan. This will ensure it heals properly and allow you to exercise safely in the future.
Continuing to exercise with an ACL injury is likely to cause more issues in the future.
What Is An ACL Injury?
An ACL injury is defined as a tear or sprain in your knee. In fact, it’s the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) that has been damaged and needs to heal.
It often happens when undertaking sports, specifically when you suddenly stop or change direction. Common sports that cause ACL injuries are football, skiing, and basketball.
In many cases, you’ll feel a pop when it happens and you’ll be unable to bear any weight on it. The knee will quickly become swollen and painful.
Best Exercises To Undertake
Before you start any exercises it’s a good idea to locate physiotherapy near me and speak to them. They will be able to assess the injury as well as your overall health. This will allow them to give you the most helpful exercises. The right exercises will shorten your recovery time and help you to maintain strength.
An even better approach is to avoid the injury in the first place. While your physiotherapist will help you to heal, it’s up to you to stretch before exercising and build strength in your knees, effectively preventing you from experiencing another ACL injury.
Here are some great exercises to try:
- Squats
The squat is one of the best ways of strengthening all the muscles in your leg. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and lower your buttocks toward the floor bending your knees and keeping your back straight.
Your thighs should end up parallel to the floor. You can also try this on just one leg.
- Lunges
The best way to stretch and strengthen your hips and knees is by doing lunges. This is where your front foot stays flat with your knee parallel to the floor and your back leg stretches out as far as possible behind you.
- Planks
There are many different types of the plank but the basic one is a good starting point. Assume the basic starting position for a press-up and keep your hands under your shoulders with your arms straight.
Ideally, hold the position for 30-60 seconds.
- Hip Bridges
The hip bridge involves lying on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your back off the floor and keep your shoulders on the floor with your back straight.
- Balance
There are many different exercises you can try to improve your balance. One of the best is simply standing on one leg. This will help to strengthen your knees and your legs while improving agility.
You’ll find your game actually improves when you undertake balance exercises regularly
Taking the time to stretch before you exercise can save you from experiencing a painful ACL injury that can put you out of action for months. That’s worth stretching daily for!