Any type of ACL injury, whether it’s a tear or sprain, can be an extremely scary injury. Your knee needs your ACL to work to its full capacity, and damage to the ligament can change how you play sports, exercise or even walk on a daily basis. Whether it’s cardio, weight lifting or high intensity interval training, any exercise needs to be adjusted after you experience damage to your ACL.
Here are the ways in which an ACL injury can impact your exercise habits
You may no longer be able to participate in sports
Sometimes your ACL injury is so severe that you will no longer be able to participate in contact sports. Due to the wear and tear, along with the pressure that gets put on such an important ligament like the ACL, high impact sports can cause you to injure it again, and as a result, your doctor may highly recommend you retiring from sports.
You may need to change your gym routine
If your usual routine used to be all cardio, or all weight lifting, your doctor may recommend that you adjust your exercise routine. If you are someone who relies on cardio, after an ACL tear you may be told that you can no longer run on treadmills because of the stress they put on your knees. One option is to replace the running with a gentler, but still efficient exercise, such as swimming. If you lift weights, you may be told to avoid heavy leg exercises and to lighten up the weight.
You will have to take baby steps
Especially if you are a serious athlete, you’ll have to most likely start over with your exercise plan after an ACL injury. You won’t be able to jump right back in, doing the same exercises you were doing with ease before. You have to take baby steps to avoid injuring it again. So if you’re a runner, start with walking; then work your way up to a light jog after some time, and do some short distance runs until your doctor gives you the okay to go farther. If you lifted weights prior to your injury, start with very light weights and work your way up.
An ACL injury can be devastating, and depending on the severity of it, your lifestyle can completely change. In order to do your best to avoid injuring it again, you’ll need to change your exercise habits. Our therapists at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy can work with you to help develop a new exercise plan.
Contact us today to speak with us further and to schedule an initial appointment.
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