Physical Therapy: My First Visit

My orthpedist set me up for a series of physical therapy sessions to improve the strength of my knee. I could clearly get used to this. I clicked immediately with my physical therapist which, as Barney Stinson would say, increased her level of awesomeness. She told me everything I was doing wrong. Showed me my knee alignment issue and how that impacted how I landed with each running stride. Forced me to do sets of leg strengthening exercises. And she didn't snicker when I couldn't hold plank for more than 26 seconds - hello, what a weakling I was today! I'm pasting some of the at-home exercise she's having me do each day. For those of you without knee pain, by all means get busy with strengthening your core. I mean, you read about the importance of core building all the time, but never think it matters "that much". Crap, it does. So get busy and start building that leg muscle.


Straight leg raise - 2 sets per leg of 10 reps. I'm pretty sure those are not HER legs in the larger picture.


Side lying hip abduction - 2 sets per leg of 10 reps each. Love this picture - he seems way too excited to toss his legs in the air.


Bridge with straight leg raise - 2 sets per leg of 10 reps each.


Bent knee lift - 2 sets of 10 reps each leg. I would never wear this outfit - although my kitchen is painted the same color as her pants. All my snazzy running clothes not only come from the sale rack, but are also in various shades of black and gray.

Here's to a week of building strength!