Happy knees

My grandmother use to say, "I'm no flim flam fool," but sometimes I certainly act like it. It's only been 6 1/2 months since having Open Reduction surgery to repair Tibial Plateau Fracture and I thought it would be a good idea to try and deadlift. Really? My trainer, Steve, was less than thrilled about the idea, but he knew from the look in my eye there was no stopping me. So he figured he should at least help me with my form and grip.

Well, my hard-headed, stubborn nature caused me to tweak my almost rehabbed leg/knee. For the last few days my leg has been really bothering me and my foot very swollen. Yesterday, I went to visit my Orthopedic doctor to tell him of my concerns.  Here's what I found out:

• I should NOT perform deadlifts, jumping jacks, jogging, or any motion that will jar my leg. Duh, I just underwent MAJOR leg/knee surgery. Steve is just saying "I told you so."
• Cycling is the best option for me it will keep my knees lubed and is the safest, best overall bang for my buck. Again, Steve is just saying "I told you so."
• As an alternative swimming would be another great form of exercise.
• Deadlifts are only good for football players. None of us common folk need to strengthen those particular muscle groups. Besides, he said most folks do them wrong.
• Dynamic workouts are okay for athletes, but most people overuse them and cause more damage than good. 
• Squats are overrated. No real reason to perform them.

As we closed our visit he advised me to stick with the cycling it creates "Happy knees."

Recovery journal: The Final Entry

Day 123: Physical Therapy, no more. Orthopedic doctor, no more. Today, marks the end of a long recovery journey. When I was first sidelined with this injury, I honestly had to dig down and find every ounce of internal strength and motivation to get through. I knew the ONLY way I could recover was with a positive attitude. Such as life, I had days where I let negativity in, but mostly I was able to stay focused and not hang my head too much. Okay, enough with all that here's what happened today:


I had a physical therapy appointment and after some range of motion and strength exams - I have been released from physical therapy. No more PT. Happy dance. Heeeeeeeeey. 


After PT I had my four-month post-op appointment with Orthopedic doctor and ... I have been cleared to return to all my pre-injury workouts. Yes, NO restrictions. Oh yeah, he did say he'd prefer that I didn't play basketball - too much jumping - especially with my wicked crossover. I'm able to:

• Squat
• Lunge
• Deadlift
• Jumping Jack
• Push-up
• Yoga
• Zumba
• Etc.

So as long as I feel comfortable with the exercise I am free to do it. Both PT and doctor say that my slight limp will eventually just fade away once my muscles become stronger. PT recommends I start Yoga again, it will be a great way for me to strengthening my leg and also help with balance. Ironically, I saw one of my favorite Yoga instructors a couple hours after my appointment - too funny. Anyway, the doctor feels the only real limits I will have now are the limits I place on myself. With that said, I see a kick-butt full body cardio workout beginning with a dynamic warm-up in the near future, like tomorrow.  Oh yeah, and I'm sure there will be a sighting of me at my fave reggae club getting my groove on. Watch out. It's official -- I'm back!