Who knows anything about working out/sports training?

[Blarg]

You can find exercises all over the net. It seems to me the advice to see a doctor is a bit of an over-reaction. After all, you said you have healed, not that you're still in a bad state; I took you at your word.

You're basically wondering how to work up the area around that joint to prevent future injury.

The first and best part of any exercise program is: do no harm. Don't go too hard, too fast, too long, or too soon. Be calm and rational and don't look for lightning fast results. Stretch and warm up for a good amount before and after exercise -- probably more than you think is enough, is the right amount. Most people do little or no warming up or cooling down, and most people get injured sooner or later, too, sometimes severely. So do what they don't, and take care of yourself.

If you want to work on strengthening that joint, you will be working muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Muscle growth can be much quicker than ligament and tendon growth, by a matter of many months. So getting into heavy weights or severe efforts too early is a mistake, when you've already had joint problems. So work on endurance. This will promote blood supply to the tendons, which get very little blood, and even less as you get older, as well as increase capillary growth in the muscle, which will prime your muscle for later growth.

It's also what your tendons and ligaments need to adapt and get ready to support further muscle growth. This is one reason why people just getting back in shape are usually given high repetition, low-resistance exercises like calisthenics before being set loose on a weight-lifting program. Get yourself in good general shape, work the joint with lower stress exercises like rowing or push-ups, and let the tendons and ligaments invisibly do their stuff and get stronger over time. When you feel comfortable, add some light weightlifting -- you can find the exercises most everywhere on the net or in any bookstore. If everything is cool, you can consider doing things that put more stress on the muscles, like heavier weights, in time.

Make it a plan you expect to last for some months, not weeks. Give yourself plenty of rest days, at least a few per week. That will give your body time to grow and repair, and will increase your safety margin.

You don't need a doctor to tell you how to exercise, unless you have a disease condition. Take your time, read on the net and grab a book or three, warm-up and stretch a lot, and above all use your common sense, and you'll be fine. A personal trainer might be a good investment, for an hour or two to get you started and get you on a plan. Some of them stink, though, so there's no guarantee you won't get one who just tries to sell you on his pet favorite exercises or products. So keep an open but discerning mind.

[PorscheNGuns]

Thanks!

-Matt

[M2d]

jobe website
also cruise around the website. lots of good sports med. info there.