This takes us up to now!
Sorry I haven’t written about my experiences recently, but I
have been too busy in gyms and more recently I have been out cycling on a road
bike, but only about ten miles and avoiding steep hills, it has to be
said!
My knee is slowly recovering and becoming stronger, but it
takes time and a lot of hard work, to try and build the muscles of your thigh
(quadriceps and hamstrings) and the muscles around your hip back
up.
In the gym I am working on static bike, cross trainers and
rowing machines and I can pretty much fully straighten my knee and I am staring
to achieve more bend (flexion) in it, which is especially helped by the rowing
machine.
I spend about three hours a week in the gym, trying to go
three or four times and I also swim.
I can now push 40kg with my right leg, on the leg press
machine, which has been hard won!
When I started on the leg press I could only press 5kg,
because of what is called reflex inhibition. It’s a strange feeling, because you
do not feel especially weak in the leg, it’s more that you just can’t do the
push required, you might if your life depended on it, but somehow your brain is
not switching your muscles on!!!!!!!!!!!
Walking is still a bit of a problem. In that I have to be
careful to walk properly and people still say to me, usually if i’m tired, ‘are
you limping’?
Although I can now achieve five or six mile walks, even on
the Downs, quite happily, without repercussions.
I spend some time, in the last two weeks, on the treadmill,
in front of a mirror, watching how I walk, but I still avoid running, but I hope
to soon.
Physiotherapy is going well, with Alison and we are working
a lot on balance, hop activities, squats, lunges and continued awareness of
quality of movement and control.
Next stage, aim to run, get back to mountain biking, increase
twisting and turning activities and join the opera!
Speak soon and remember ‘Mind
your body’!!!!!!!!!!!!! NIgel
