Game Changers: 7 Exercises to Prevent ACL Injuries

Watch this video featuring U.S. Women's Soccer star, Ali Krieger, which shows 7 exercises every young athlete can do to help prevent knee injuries. It's a must-see for all of the young athletes in your life.
More information - www.safekids.org/sports

[@kiliankraus]

Thankyou for this, I’m not currently injured but I am petrified of any sort of injury, knee easpically! This gives me the illusion of some safety, just knowing I can do these and be somewhat safe!

[@arvaanbanerjee1682]

Same I am playing soccer and my teammate just injured his acl and I have been scared since then.

[@deuce9996]

My dad tore his ACL in college and it ended his basketball career so I’m real paranoid

[@maggiemccarthy2174]

My soccer coaches found and sent out this video. One of our players this year has been out and is having surgery on their ACL. We have incorporated these into our soccer practice and I have even incorporated these into my own training because my whole family has suffered from an ACL injury at least once in their life. Thanks for the vid!!

[@ibrahimpatel5418]

Maggie from big bang theory?

[@wastedtime100]

Thank you for making this video. One thing that would have really helped us understand how to do the exercises is side views.

[@jeniadimitrova1581]

Thanks for sharing

[@jessehaug681]

Thanks for creating this video- I'm going to start doing these exercises today :)

[@laurenroth1609]

I broke my knee and had to have surgery, I couldn’t play soccer for a long time. I have just been released to play soccer and run again 😁 however I have found that it is not easy and it is like starting over😨 this is very helpful👍 thank uohhhh💓

[@saidharshanshan2481]

its been 8 months after my ACL surgery.... if i follow these exercises on regular basis ... can i play foot ball without knee support kinda things ???? ,..

[@smitagodase5315]

Hi bro. I also had acl surgery 2 months ago. I have a few questions. If you have read this comment, then please text me on my Insta account= @arya_2409

[@a0liy0h]

Only just come of crutches like in January and now I've done my ACL again

[@iabram8993]

OMG !! Do you mean that you had only just come off crutches from an ACL surgery and then you did it again? My son is about to have an ACL and MCL surgery. Hope you be ok.

[@pspabp]

I have a serious question: I had surgery about 2 months ago about 3 weeks after surgery i went too deep into a squat and heard crack or pop and moderate pain and a lost some mobility although there was no swelling or inflammation it was scary, now two months after surgery i hear clicks and pops numerous times on a daily basis. my doctor told me it is lose scar tissue and that i need to break it down is that true or am scared for no reason?

[@KanekiKen-kf2ru]

Hey man. Are you alive? I would like to know what happened in these 6 years

[@eagley8708]

What is the recommended frequency? Twice per week?

[@ERH252]

I have had acl surgery and have had many knee injuries. Many of these exercises looked like a great way to re-injure and aggravate my knee, with high impact and lateral force.

[@ERH252]

Your surgeon should have told you, the first 3 days after surgery are the hardest. I still remember, any little bump or motion was so painful! After 3 says it was maybe 10% less painful, with steady improvement after that. They'd harvested a few of my hamstrings from my other leg before deciding they had to use a cadaver ACL. That hamstring area was painful and tight, toobut healed fairly quickly.

[@ERH252]

My surgery was in 2006...but I remember right where you are. Those first few days are super painful, but by week 2 you will be feeling 95% better, pain-wise. Rest up, eat well - and bug your surgeon and follow up doc for advice if it's more painful. I didn't care for Vicodin and just toughed it out - the pain was better for me than the nausea from the Vicodin, but I had an internal pain pump tube thing (lidocaine) that the doc out in during surgery and took out at my first check up. I definitely noticed a big difference when that was removed :-/

[@ERH252]

Yep - I can even jog 5k marathons now, and hike - things is never dreamed of being able to do before the surgery (my ACL was torn for years - I lost 50% of my meniscus too). Good luck! Every day will get better :) PT sucks but the exercises will really help.

[@moorefingerboards]

I had and ACL ,Meniscus, and Patella Reconstruction Surgery on my left knee from a football injury in 2012. When I was 13 years old. A week before I turned 14. I am now 15 years old and I did these exact exercises in PT to strengthen and stabilize my knee. I play sports and my knee feels great. So I don't understand why you are saying that it seams like a great way to re-injure your knee.I did all of these exercises and it made my knee really strong.

[@Dr_Footbrake]

Mary H being weak is a better way to re-injure your knee

[@eagley8708]

These might be a little outdate... in the sense that there is a lot going around doing split squats, and using a slant board for squats, stretches ect.

[@jjhbball]

Is it okay to use Progresso if I don’t have Campbells?

[@blockblocked]

Funny thing is: I watched this video prior to my soccer game today and did all these 7 workouts . I went in onto the pitch and the first kick of the ball tore my ACL. Bloody ACL ruined my soccer season after being the top scorer along with most assists for the season. i am not able to walk properly with heavy swelling and pain. Pain n stuff dont matter but I am really worried whether i can get back to playing soccer like before or not :(

[@johnshadow8]

+blockblocked of course you did. such exercises are not for match days. before your match you must always be well rested. you can return to soccer but never like before. you can reach the 90% the most of your performances before injury.

[@coolbian513]

+johnshadow8 thats not true. he can return to soccer and be better than before. in my opinion.

[@warrenlowe676]

It's because you weigh too much

[@freddyboy8251]

Hope you did recover well from your injury

[@mcmerry2846]

Lol, it's like saying “Today I trained my 1RM before the competition of 100m race“

[@justinvanderleest3171]

Always good for kids to play lots. But, play won't stop bad movement mechanics. If a child develops a movement pattern with dynamic genu valgus, they'll continue that into adulthood unless someone instructs them to change it specifically.

[@millerchassis6119]

Have you got anymore info on that. Thanks

[@quanmichel3747]

I tore my acl last year , I just got my surgery on September 27, hopefully I can make a comeback

[@mikehokage4085]

I. Michel how are you now man?

[@fuckfrancisco]

@@mikehokage4085 i guess we will never know...

[@Thacomedian64]

How often should we do this??

[@sktsportskneetherapy3240]

Daily!

[@mcmerry2846]

Yeah daily is good...but 4-5 times per week is enough. Rest is necessary

[@jessarose____4708]

Hi, I just tore my ACL on Mother's Day at soccer, still a fair bit of swelling and haven't yet gone for an MRI, what exercises do you suggest that I do with my other leg ..?!

[@pablodiaz9009]

I hope that you make a full recovery

[@jessarose____4708]

thankyou

[@rakistangpinoy4745]

hows your acl now? im 5 weeks post op and doing good.

[@michaelcrabtree2939]

Hope the denver broncos are watching these videos because they ve had so much injuries.

[@elizabethmadura8695]

I do all these at physical therapy im 14 and tore my acl in may had surgery in june another one of my teammates tore their acl a week later and just yesterday my friend tore hers at practice its so shocking to hear that u cant play soccer or any sport for 6 months some people longer its horrible but it helped me realize how lucky i was to be playing at such a high level of soccer and now i just do my best to do all the physical therapy excersises and help support my team the best way ican a

[@justinvanderleest3171]

+sienna three Always good for kids to play lots. But, play won't stop bad movement mechanics. If a child develops a movement pattern with dynamic genu valgus, they'll continue that into adulthood unless someone instructs them to change it specifically.

[@millerchassis6119]

does it work the same for guys?

[@Fatboy53]

miller chassis I think so. I partially tore mine in 1998 and had the ham reconstruction in 2003. While at PT for my 5 month rehab I learned I never cared correctly for my knees- my fault. I’ve been doing knee PT since 2003. I do/have done all these exercises; I think they work. I’m 49 and 5’ 11”. I can still play basketball and volleyball and can touch the rim. I’d add leg extensions to strengthen the VMO. I think it’s fantastic Ali shares this free info with us. I personally think kids today overexercise and don’t stretch enough. We have 4 kids in sports. . Best of luck. Final answer- I find these exercises work great. I don’t have knee problems. All the best

[@KennyLauderdale]

My son had an outpatient procedure on his knee... Three desolving pins in his knee... They have healed. Now it's time to rehab the knee... He's able to do squats not... I am going to have him do these exercises three times per week on leg days. Thanks

[@gregbrown9765]

This video was probably great 9 years ago. Its very outdated. To prevent knee injuries you need to be dragging a sled backwards and doing slant board squats. Anyone looking for more information search people like Marc Lobliner or Ben Patrick.

[@monaami555]

3 out of 7 i was doing regularly since 2 years (not thinking about ACL at all), and I just had ACL tear 2 months ago :D I guess the best way to prevent it is not to play soccer nor ski :P

[@monaami555]

but I still think that the fact that I have been doing fitness before makes my recovery much faster now. not mentioning the quality of life improvement right after the surgery when you are able to do some movements using only one leg, like sitting down/getting up from the floor, or reaching something far away with confidence of not losing balance..

[@mikehokage4085]

monaami555 how is your knee now?

[@mrcool4149]

I just tore my acl for a third time in my life and I'm only 19... I know all these exercises from physically therapy, but now plan on doing them after these next 9 months... 3rd times a charm right?

[@TheRJS98]

I feel sorry for you. You should wear knee supports

[@rakistangpinoy4745]

damn! do you ever learn???

[@mcmerry2846]

Lol, i'm 23 just Osgood Schlatter and couple of ankle sprains.

[@neallabarbera]

I tore mine 7 months ago I will be doing these all the time , during the soccer season

[@BieberFever4life646]

tore my acl during preseason. It sucks. in about two weeks starting rehab. hopin to be back on the filed next season.

[@KarimHussain7]

I tore my ACL the night before graduation so I missed my ceremony I spent that night at an ER. After a great soccer season in the fall being a top scorer and top assister and having near misses I tore it at the gym squatting, I guess I pushed it and I twisted my knee when I dropped down and I heard a loud pop then the pain shot through and I screamed. I lost my scholarship and now I go to GRCC instead of Detroit Mercy so life sucks now that I tore it. I was a 4.2 student in high school. hopefully I'll find another school that'll accept me that has a soccer team that'll allow me to play because it sucks that all I play is drop in soccer. The people that play me are not a competition at all I wish I can play competitively again someday.

[@Ghaemi350z]

your mistake was being in the gym in the first place, I know it sounds kind of dumb but lots of injuries happen in the gym , lifting weights just make your muscles bigger and tighter and makes you less agile, its better to have longer and more flexible muscles especially in soccer, that's atleast my opinion , its better to do workouts that don't involve weights like insanity that's what I did, anyways good luck on your recovery hope you can get back into competitiv3 soccer again

[@k.a.rashad6507]

Man, that's f*cked up that you didn't get the chance to earn your high school diploma.

[@Bonecrusha865]

I've had my athletes do All those exercises except for the last one.

[@sktsportskneetherapy3240]

The last is my favorite!

[@eagley8708]

Last one is great holding on to something like a post or anything fixed, until you are strong enough to do it without holding something.

[@carsonpettit3127]

Tore my ACL while performing the exercises presented. Thanks....

[@mrshmuf4363]

Carson Pettit bs

[@mcmerry2846]

Lol seems total fake.

[@adamhenry6754]

No way ?! 😱

[@DyliosG]

idk I had a bit of knee injury .. i think it was my acl ... but I was still able to walk people told me the point of my pain was my acl but just in case I will be doin these exercises tho, I love running and I didn't get thin injury while runnin.. definitely motivating ad thank you

[@roneducator]

knees should come forward in a squat!

[@Dr_Footbrake]

ron walton why?

[@rachelkessinger2295]

Depending on the muscle focus on the exercise. There are many different kinds of squats. To prevent pressure going into your knees, you don't want your knees to cross your toes or at least not by very much

[@mcmerry2846]

Only on deeps squats for muscle hypertrophy and max strenght

[@Daquan0394]

i tweaked a ligament behind the kneecap and ive never felt so frightened or paranoid in my life......

[@millerchassis6119]

Stay strong Freind. Keep your family close And keep reminding yourself it could be worse.

[@ELVISAPARICIOERAN]

This is just superb, been searching for "mcl exercise" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Have you heard people talk about - Zenevad Exercise Eaglestone - (should be on google have a look ) ? Ive heard some interesting things about it and my partner got excellent success with it.

[@aristojuan7926]

I'm afraid to play soccer again :(. I love it and I want to play again but I don't want to torn my acl and wait 6 months again.

[@clairestruble9604]

Same I'm so scared because it's the worst pain I've ever experienced

[@mikehokage4085]

ARISTOjuan how are you now man? Did you get rid of your fear?I m having my surgery this summer

[@ahmeda.s.h9655]

the music is very good it distract me

[@mcmerry2846]

Well, men have more achilles risk...and women ACL risk

[@xavierguadarrama8969]

they think that Im gonna look like an ass doing these exercises that don't work

[@surgea17]

That body though!

[@roneducator]

Buyer beware, this won't do much for you!

[@mcmerry2846]

Lol big lies there

[@roneducator]

Why only 5 pounds?

[@mcmerry2846]

Based on body weight.

[@mcmerry2846]

You should apply the proper load about 5-10% of your body weight

[@Bodybypt]

Disappointing. This was extremely underwhelming.

[@aaaaaaa6954]

Why

[@justinvanderleest3171]

Unfortunately, Ali continues to demonstrate a genu valgum moment on all the standing exercises. The instructions have no mention of sagittal or transverse hip, knee, foot alignment. For the record, the knee cap should line-up over the 2nd toe, never more medially. This is accomplished by abducting and externally rotating the hip, best facilitated in standing by cueing the athlete to "twist the knee out a bit." This is accomplished by the gluteus medius, predominantly, with support from the foot musculature. But, there are no dedicated Glute med exercises in this program (there are dozens that physiotherapists prescribe, none of which are included here). For the exercises here that do engage glute med and the foot muscles functionally, the instruction included no mention of the appropriate coronal pelvic alignment or knee position (Pelvis should stay level, knee over 2nd toe and medial foot arch maintained). The ball exercises do strengthen hamstrings which could be minorly helpful, but not nearly as helpful as engaging the hamstrings in functionally meaningful standing positions. More standing exercises (with cueing for the important alignment points) such as lunges, lunge hops, single leg hops, etc would be better. Bottom line: Strengthening standing movement patterns that correct habitual genu valgum and hip adduction/internal rotation is the name of the game. If you don't do this, you don't prevent ACL injuries. Increasing hamstring strength functionally is a helpful adjunct.

[@mcmerry2846]

Most women tend to have valgo

[@justinvanderleest3171]

+sienna three Always good for kids to play lots. But, play won't stop bad movement mechanics. If a child develops a movement pattern with dynamic genu valgus, they'll continue that into adulthood unless someone instructs them to change it specifically.

[@roneducator]

knees should come forward in a squat!

[@mcmerry2846]

Not necesary...only in deep squats