The goal of this final stage is to go beyond basic rehab and get you stronger than ever before. Many of these exercises will challenge your strength & stability and help you build that extra resilience you need to avoid future injuries.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR STAGE 3:

• In stage 3 you will do more exercises on one leg that challenge your single leg control – make sure to watch your form and avoid over-loading your injured knee.
• As you do more squats, lunges, jumps and leaps it’s important to check your form – make sure your knee doesn’t go too far forward and doesn’t collapse in. Try to use your hip muscles as much as possible to take the strain away from your knee.
• Balancing exercises will further challenge your control and stability. These are vital for runners (after all, running is just a series of landings on one leg)! If your balance is poor, your natural instinct will be to do each rep quickly – try to consciously avoid this! The slower (and smoother) you do these exercises, the more you’ll get out of them.

RUNNING IN STAGE 3:

By stage 3 you should be back out running at least 60-70% of your pre-injury volume and be pain-free.

Over these final 4 weeks of rehab, focus on improving your speed and distance gradually to get back to your 100% best.

If you’re still in significant pain or discomfort, you should consult with your physiotherapist before adding any more volume to your training.

If you’re unsure about your running plan, please consult your trainer, coach, physiotherapist, or our team, here.