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The
Top 4 Exercises to Strengthen your ACL
The
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most commonly damaged
ligament of the knee and accounts for up to 50% of documented
ligamentous knee injuries. So what can be done to protect
yourself? You can't control your teammates and competitors;
but what you can control is the strength of your knees -
and the ACLs within them.
Although
the exercises given aren't a foolproof guarantee against
ACL problems, they mimic injury-producing movements in a
controlled and strengthening - but not threatening - manner.
They improve knee strength in a functional way and represent
a good way to minimize the overall risk of ACL injury.
1.
The Six Way Lunge with Arm Drop:
(Or Matrix)
Begin by standing with your feet parallel and hip-width
apart. Your arms should be bent at the elbows so that your
hands are directly in front of your shoulders. Then, take
a long step forward with your right foot, as if you were
doing a lunge, and lean your upper body forward approximately
45 degrees at the waist as you do so. Drop your hands on
either side of your right knee as your right foot makes
contact with the ground. Quickly extend your right knee
(eg, straighten your right leg) and return your body to
the initial, full-standing position. Repeat with your left
leg.
- Then,
do the same thing laterally. Step right with your body
45 degrees and drop your arms, then quickly stand. Repeat
with your left leg.
- Finally,
twist your body around at the hips and step diagonally
and to the rear with your right foot into a backward-lateral-lunge
position. Your upper body should face to the right-rear
at about 'four o'clock' position, and it should be inclined
over your right leg at approximately 45 degrees from the
vertical. Again, drop your hands, then quickly stand.
Repeat with your left leg to the left-rear ('eight o'clock')
position.
The
6 lunge sequence (forward right leg, forward left leg, right-side
right leg, left-side left leg, back-and-right right leg,
back-and-left left leg) should be done three times. Do three
sets of the 18 lunges with 60 seconds of rest in between.
2.
The One Leg Squat with Leg Drop:
To carry out this exercise, stand with your left foot forward
and your right foot back, with your feet shoulder length
apart. Place the toes of your right foot on a 6 inch step
or block. Most of your body weight should be directed through
the heel of your left foot.
Bend
your left leg and lower your body until the left knee
reaches an angle of about 90 degrees between the thigh
and lower part of the leg. Then, hop upward and laterally,
so that your left foot lands about eight inches to the
left. Upon landing, immediately do another squat and hop
back.
Finally,
hop to the right, descend into another squat, and then
hop back. Be sure to maintain upright posture with your
upper body as you do this, and hold your hands at your
sides throughout the squatting and hopping movement.
Complete
a total of 12 lateral hops (to the left and to the right)
with your left leg before switching over and doing the
same thing with your right leg. Perform a total of three
sets with each leg, with 30 to 60 seconds of rest in between.
Make
certain that you perform these one-leg squats with lateral
hops only on soft soil, an aerobics floor, a wooden gym
floor, a grassy surface, a rubberised track, or some other
resilient surface which offers some give. Hopping repeatedly
on concrete or asphalt may increase the risk of overuse
injuries to the lower part of your leg.
3.
Zig Zag Runs:
Start by running at half-speed straight ahead for about
five metres. At the five-metre mark, cut quickly to your
left for several strides by pushing off your right foot
and moving in a left-forward (diagonal) direction. Then
cut back toward the right for several strides by pushing
off your left foot and moving in a right-forward (diagonal)
direction. Repeat this sequence for a total of eight to
ten cuts (four to five to the right and four to five to
the left). Perform three to five sets of this exercise with
a break of 30 to 45 seconds between each run. Helps develop
the balance and body control required to move in multiple
directions at various speeds. These exercises require the
knee joints to move through a number of different angles
and directions, thus mimicking movements that can lead to
ACL injury in unprepared athletes.
4.
The High Bench Step-Up:
Begin from a standing position on top of a bench which is
approximately knee high, with your body weight on your left
foot and your weight shifted toward your left heel. The
right foot should be free and held slightly behind the body.
Then, lower your body in a controlled manner until the heel
of the right foot touches the ground, but support all of
your weight on your left foot. Return to the starting position
by driving down with the left heel (the one that's on the
bench, not the one that hits the floor) and straightening
your left leg. Repeat for a total of of 10 to 12 repetitions,
and then switch over to the right leg. Maintain absolutely
upright body posture with your trunk throughout the entire
movement, with your hands held at your sides (with or without
dumbbells).
Overall,
these exercises - if carried out a couple of times a week
- should help keep your ACLs away from serious injury.
Bledsoe,
Sportsinjurybulletin.com
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