So, this is 11 months post HTO (and by extension, 8-9 months of ACL-focused rehab). That feels like a slight misnomer as I’m writing this during week 8 of the school summer holidays and let’s just say that getting to the gym/getting physio done during this period has been somewhat challenging! In reality, this ‘season’ has been more about maintenance than progress so I’m actually looking forward to kids going back to school, which will give me chance to get back into a routine and hopefully kickstart the progress.
The exercises I’m working on at the moment (or will be again from next week) are:
Plyos (3 x week)
Hopping on to box (increasing height)
Hopping down from box (increasing height)
Hopping down from box with anti clockwise quarter turn
Hopping down from box with clockwise quarter turn (this one has a tendency to collapse inwards)
Rebound hops on the spot
Rebound hops side to side
Hopping onto box, then straight off (responding to someone telling me which way to turn late into the combo)
Banded knee extensions (it’s still trying to hyperextend)
Flexibility (Daily)
Child's pose rocks
Child's pose holds 30s
Kneeling as low as I can go and holding 30s (hands on/off ground)
Strength (2 x week)
Leg extensions
Leg press
Adductors
Abductors
Hamstring curls
Agility (2 x week)
Sprints
Speed change
Deceleration
Balance
Arabesque to high knee (adding weight as needed and to throw balance off)
Other
30min run/walk 1-2/week
30min cycling 1-2/week
Bodypump 1 x week
Ignite Strike 1 x week
I had some ‘fun’ playing with the order when doing plyos:
At the start of a session is pretty good and predictable (turning 90 degrees clockwise is the most wobbly, and my knee still tends to collapse inwards if I’m not actively thinking about it, the same with hop onto the box as the box gets higher); but
After a class (e.g. Strike) it is VERY wobbly (falling over, anyone?), which gives a good indication of how much muscle fatigue influences ‘performance’.
I can’t decide if it’s better to do them fatigued (when instinct takes over so is more akin to any likely re-tear scenario), plus growth occurs at point of failure. But maybe that is a more risky approach than I’d like at this stage? For the moment I’m mixing it up so I'm doing a bit of both. Nothing like sitting on the fence, eh?
Needless to say, I haven’t done as much as I’d like but I’m hoping that the gym classes and a minimum of once a week on the rest will keep things ticking over until September.
Monkeys on the horizon
On the subject of which, following my last physio session, I’ve been given the all clear to attempt my Go Ape challenge. Eek! 😱 😬 🎉
My physio knew this was on my list so sent her husband and kids off to have a go as she’s scared of heights 😂 Having videoed them coming down the zipline to see what was involved from a landing perspective, the whole physio team at the hospital then discussed it to come up with exercises to test/practice the movements involved. If that’s not dedication to the cause, I don’t know what is 🙌🏻
The result? A physio appointment that involved sitting on an office chair, being flung across the room and digging in my heels to slow myself down and ultimately stop. Not quite the Japanese office chair grand prix - and maybe (or maybe not) a serious physio exercise - but good for a laugh for all concerned either way 😂
Plan A at Go Ape is to run out of the zipline forwards (even if the speed means my gait is wonky, that’s the preferred option) but Plan B, if I end up facing the wrong way, is to drag my heels (how it gave out when I went last time) or just pick my legs up and land on my backside.
Now I just have to work up the confidence to give it a go and report back from there 😬
My eldest had asked if I could just stick the brace on to do something like this and, to be fair, she has a point as this is exactly the kind of plannable extra I had previously said I’d be happy to wear the brace for. Now it kind of feels like it would be cheating though, especially given this is one of my stated rehab goals. If the knee is fixed well enough, I should be able to do this without a brace, even if it does scare the bejeese out of me right now….
I promised I wouldn't attempt it the week following my appointment as my physio was away on holiday so wouldn't be around to deal with any fall out. I’m away now too so the earliest chance will be September. Given I’ve not been able to do as much rehab as I’d have liked over the last month or so, I’m going to give that a really concerted effort during September then maybe attempt it in early October (plus I’ll have got my wine tasting trip to Tuscany out of the way by then, and I’d hate to jeopardise that by blowing the knee out again before I go 😆 )
I have a couple of friends lined up to come with me and have been promised a bottle of fizz at the end to either celebrate or commiserate. It’s a plan of sorts.
Now I just need to get back to normality and blitz this rehab before putting it all to the test. Wish me luck!!
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