Exercising After Knee Surgery – 3 Easy Ways to Move Pain-Free
By Amanda Mittleman M.S.
Jay Bogert is such a hard-working guy! When he started training at Mo-Mentum, he couldn’t move his hips and knees without severe back and knee pain. But he was determined not to let the pain stop his progress.
That’s why we chose Jay Bogert as our Superhero of the Month for May!
Ultimately, he made the decision to get total knee replacement surgery. And although he’s now living his best, pain-free life, his surgery wasn’t an instant cure. His recovery depended on one very important factor:
👉 Jay didn’t stop exercising after knee surgery.
At Mo-Mentum Fitness, we know that getting back into exercising after knee surgery can be scary! But we also know that for you to heal and build your strength back, you need to keep moving. Movement is medicine. And movement is essential to thrive in life. Our trainers at Mo-Mentum Fitness meet you where you’re at and tailor a fitness routine to your specific, post-surgery needs.
If you’ve been looking for some easy, safe ways to ease back into exercise after knee surgery, this blog is for you.
Before we find out what Jay did to get to his pain-free fitness level today, let’s dive into the ideas behind pain management and why simply masking symptoms is only a short-term solution.
Why Masking the Pain is Never Enough
We don’t give the stress associated with living with physical pain enough attention. Long-term pain can be a three on a scale of one to ten. However, if that 3-level pain never goes away, it begins to feel like a 10-level of pain over time.
The problem with pain management doctors is they are trained to mask the pain, which means the pain won’t be going away. Instead, getting to the source of that pain is key. This takes time, but if you’re getting rid of the pain without side effects, why not take the time? Your happiness and overall health are worth your time and energy, right?
The answer is a resounding Yes! So, let’s go ahead and talk about three easy ways to keep exercising after knee surgery.
3 Easy Ways to Move Pain-Free
At Mo-Mentum Fitness, we understand it takes time to learn how to move in functional ways once you’ve had an injury, and if you’ve spent hours every day sitting in a chair working.
Here are three simple ways you can get back to exercising after knee surgery:
- Start Exercising Before Your Surgery, But Do This With A Qualified Trainer
When Jay started training with us, about four months before his surgery, we focused on strengthening and mobilizing his hips. We also worked on his core strength. Everybody can do better with more core strength to protect your back and help your hips function better. Our hips are meant to be both mobile, meaning they need to be able to move without stiffness, AND stable, which means they need to be strong so they can support your entire body. There are many exercises we can do without putting your knees at risk for further injury. The problem I have heard as a personal trainer for over 28 years is that people who don’t exercise regularly, hear the word “exercise,” and they envision burpees, jumping jacks and a drill sergeant-type trainer calling them “loser” for struggling. When Jay started training, as with many of our newest members, he did not start off with lunges or squats with weights. He didn’t do burpees and he was not called names! We let him know, we would be taking this slow….at his body’s pace and each day he would begin to feel a little bit stronger and more confident in his body’s ability to move.
- Focus On Strengthening The Parts Of Your Body That Are Not Injured
Just because you’re down and on the ground doesn’t mean you’re out. Even when you are recovering from injury or surgery, you can still exercise the rest of your body! Even though Jay had trouble with his knees and back, he found the rest of his body suffered when he stopped moving and didn’t strengthen train. More muscle means more health, and just because you don’t train one body part at the moment doesn’t mean the rest of your body has disappeared! While slowly getting his footing back with his lower body, Jay has been hard at work training his upper body and core so he can still enjoy his hobbies playing pickleball.
- There Are Many Ways To Train Your Cardiovascular System That Don’t Involve Running (Pounding On Your Knees)
Your cardiovascular health is vital for every aspect of your health. Research has found that increasing your cardiovascular capacity increases both your life span and your quality of life, and its neuroprotective. For Jay, we used a machine called a Ski Erg for his cardiovascular work. He worked on his hip hinging (excellent for protecting his back) and practiced his ski skills simultaneously. When you take optional off the table, you can accomplish anything.
We also have rowers and stationary bikes for cardiovascular training, which take the “pounding” out of exercise.
The Benefits of Movement Training
The people we work with here at Mo-Mentum Fitness, including Jay, are hard-working people who have been sitting at desks, driving, sitting in meetings, sitting, sitting, sitting. Hours of sitting can take a toll on our bodies and our movement patterns over time, which will determine how well we move throughout our days. Sitting for hours at a time causes our hip flexors to become tight, our chest muscles to become tight and simultaneously our posterior shoulder muscles to become stretched out and weak. Sitting for hours at a time also puts a significant amount of stress on your spine and other joints in your body, including your knees, hips, and shoulders. It also weakens core stability muscles, the major supporters of your spine.
Injury is the number one predictor of injury. It changes the way we move, both consciously and unconsciously. So when Jay hurt his knee, he didn’t completely stop walking, he limped around when he needed to walk, putting strain on all his other joints. So, when you get injured the worst thing you can do is sit and not move. The best thing you can do is gently move, get some physical therapy, and then find a qualified personal trainer/movement specialist to help you continue building your functional strength.
How Mo-Mentum Fitness Helps You Ease Into Exercising After Knee Surgery
Jay went into his surgery stronger than he had been in a long time, which made it possible for him to recover faster and better all around. We worked together as a team to get Jay’s body strong without injuring his knee worse than it was. He had the strength to get through the surgery and to recover afterward and most important to get into physical therapy as soon as his knee was ready. This made it possible for him to start back to his training program and within only a few months his knee felt amazing and his body felt much better too.
We are each the best advocates for our happiness, health, and wellness. Knee surgery, or any type of joint surgery is not a quick or even a slow fix for the original problem. The surgery is simply one of the steps towards gaining your movement freedom back. You’re going to have to work for the rest, but that work can be very enjoyable. Moving better requires movement training. Most of us have been sitting at desks since we were kids in school. Strengthening our bodies to combat the effects of sitting is for everyone!
Finding the right people to help you through knee surgery is essential to have a successful surgery, after the surgery. When we own our outcomes, take “optional” off the table, and find the right help, we will be destined for success!
Jay! Thank you for inspiring Team Mo and Mo-Tribe! We love getting to watch you thrive and get stronger and we love getting to hear your new pickleball stories! You are a bright light here at Mo-Mentum Fitness and we’re looking forward to getting to be a part of and watch you slay your future successes!
Questions and Jay’s Answers
1. Describe what your life (and your health) was like before fitness.
I have always been into fitness but had a major setback with a knee injury 9 years ago. I stopped exercising because it hurt.
2. Was there ever a low point or an experience that made your priorities change?
My knee got so bad that I was having trouble walking so I decided to have a total knee joint replacement at the end of 2022. I was training before the surgery, so I was stronger when I recovered than expected. It was still hard.
3. How did fitness come into your life (or back into your life)?
After my surgery, I decided my training so I could play pickleball. After my physical therapy, I started training with small group personal training at Mo-Mentum Fitness.
4. What kind of results have you seen since starting a regular fitness program?
I’m slowly but surely getting back in shape. I feel better and I’m looking forward to continue feeling and moving even better.
5. Please talk more about the actual changes in your life? (weight loss, confidence, more endurance, less medications, increased energy, better relationships etc.)
I have more endurance and getting up off the floor is a lot easier. I recently picked up pickleball and I’m really enjoying it. A year ago, pickleball wasn’t an option.
6. Let’s focus in on the blood work. What kind of changes have you seen there? What do these changes mean for your lifestyle, longevity, finances, etc?
My latest annual blood test results were positive! They showed I’m making the changes in my body that I needed to make to feel and be healthier.
7. Why do you make fitness a priority in your life?
I want to be able to move well and participate in outdoor activities until I jump in the box!
8. These days, what makes you truly happy and feel at peace?
Knowing that my fitness level is increasing week by week
9. How do you feel compared to 1 year ago?
I feel great knowing that I’m doing something about my fitness. My body feels better too, I still have a ways to go, but I know today I will continue to take care of my body, exercise consistently and feel better and better.
10. What is your favorite thing about Mo-Mentum Fitness?
Mo-Mentum Fitness trainers tailor the workouts to fit my needs, including my long and short-term goals and if I’m having pain, they help me move differently so the pain stops or they change the exercise to accommodate my body’s needs.
11. What would you say to the person who know they need to start exercising but is afraid to start?
Start light and do what you can do, one day at a time and a few months down the line you’ll look back at where you started and be amazed at how far you’ve come.
12. Specifics: your age? job title? children? spouse?
Age 63, children Mr. Harley the cat. Wife Temora
- What is your favorite quote? (We will be including this on the graphic we post
in the Mo-Mentum newsletter and social media posts.)
“Endeavor to persevere.”
