ACL Recovery Log #11 – 6 Weeks Post Op

Time is certainly flying by. It’s been 6 weeks since surgery and my knee has been feeling a lot better. I think 6 weeks marked a turning point, as my knee feels less sore and doesn’t swell as much. I’m also feeling less of need to constantly ice it. It’s still tight and occasionally feels sore but it’s not nearly as bad as it was a few weeks ago. I’ve been doing a lot of quad/hamstring strengthening exercises in PT (and at home) and my leg is feeling stronger every day! I can almost walk up the stairs 100% normal, but going down can still be challenging. I still have a slight limp, but my PT said that should go away by weeks 8-10. This week in PT we’ll start working on single-leg exercises, which is exciting! I’m also continuing with upper body workouts at home.

Oh, and the most important thing…I had my 6 week follow up appointment this past week with my surgeon. He said everything looks great, I’m right where I should be. AND he said I can start riding my bike…outside!! 

I just have to take it easy and no mountain biking–or off-road riding at all. That night I immediately got on my bike (which is still on my smart trainer), reactivated my Zwift account and pedaled. I know,  I know, I didn’t ride outside. But to be honest, I like riding my trainer. It’s in a controlled environment where I can stop immediately if my knee feels off, I don’t run the risk of falling (or getting hit by a vehicle) and I don’t have to deal with riding on a crowded bike path. I’m going to work on getting my cycling fitness back within the next few weeks using Zwift, and hopefully by next month I’ll be ready to take my bike off the trainer and hit some roads. In case you’re wondering, Zwift is an interactive indoor cycling program that connects to your smart trainer. You can choose different courses and ride in virtual worlds with people from all over the globe. It’s awesome!

Yesterday I completed my longest ride since December 28th-7.5 miles on Zwift. It felt so good to finally do some climbing and work up a sweat. My knee felt great, but I did notice it felt a little tight as soon as the resistance increased. 

I’m really lucky to have the option to ride inside, as much as I love riding outside, right now is definitely not the time to be riding on the crowded bike path.