It’s baby steps but I’ve been given the okay to get back on my bike on the trainer.
The goal isn’t some number of kilometres, a given amount of time, or to reach a certain power level
Instead, it’s something much more basic and fundamental. It’s all about regaining enough mobility so that I can make a full rotation of the pedals. It’s range of motion time, baby!
Various guides to knee replacement say to expect a 5 degree improvement in the angle possible for your new knee each week. You need 90 degrees to ride a bike. A goal is 120 if your leg size permits that. Not sure mine does. I was at 52 degrees last week, a few days after surgery, and 67 today eight days after replacement.
But all of these guides to knee replacement say don’t compare your progress to the progress of others. Different people take a different amount of time to get there.
It’s unlikely I’ll be able to that the first few times I try I’ve been told. So no expectations.
Also, even once I can I’m to use the trainer in a very spinny gear, no pressure at all on the pedals.
Whether or not you’re a cyclist the bike trainer is a basic rehab tool after knee replacement surgery. Surgeons and physiotherapists have to talk people who aren’t cyclists to give it a go. It’s easy when the patient’s first question is how soon can I get back on the bike (on the trainer to start.)
It’s all about passive range of motion. Here we go!
yay! I hope it felt heartening to be back on the bike.