After an ACL surgery when is it safe to start jogging? And are there specific requirements or criteria you must meet before you start to jog?
It is typically safe to start a walking and jogging progression at 12 weeks after an ACL surgery. However, this is assuming that your recovery has been going well, you did not have an infection after surgery and that the surgeon did not repair a meniscus tear. Even with all of that there are still a few requirements you have to meet:
- Your operated knee needs to be able to bend and straighten as much as your non-operated knee
- Very little knee pain or swelling
- Be able to walk quickly without a limp
- Walk for 20 minutes without increasing knee swelling or knee pain
- The ability to do squats and lunges to help strengthen muscles in your legs
Watch Dimitri discuss the criteria for being able to jog after an ACL surgery below.
One of the things that this video does not discuss is the walking and jogging progression. Simply put this is a progression where you start with a few minutes of walking followed by a few minutes of jogging. Read the full blog that discusses the walking jogging progression as well as the criteria necessary to jog after ACL surgery here.
Read all 3 of Dimitri's blogs here!
If you are recovering from an ACL injury or ACL surgery and you want to do everything possible to return to running download our Curovate physical therapy app from the links below. Curovate provides daily video guided strengthening exercises, the ability to measure knee range of motion, in-app chat with a physical therapist to answer your surgery and recovery questions and educational blogs and webinars.
If you need further customized assistance during your ACL recovery check out our Virtual Physical Therapy page to book your 1-on-1 video session with a physical therapist.
