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Getting back into Volleyball.
I'm 18/f, I've been playing volleyball for about 10 years now. However about two years ago my knees started to give out on me. So I took the most awful year away from volleyball when I started college in hopes that if I took a break and rested the pain might ease up, it didn't. The doctor just suggested knee braces, but I'm so out of shape its not funny. How do I start training again and avoid losing my knee-power? Should I start slow and test the waters or just go for it? Any help would be appreciated.
-Hurt V-ball Chick
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Most certainly test the waters rather than jump in. I am a bit surprised by your doctor's response. Normally when one is out for so long one gets forwarded to a specialist. Did you see a doc before you quit for a year or recently? If it was not recent, you might consider going again.
I am a personal trainer, but giving you advice on this is very hard because the joint still hurts you. If the doctor said it was ok to start a rehabilitation program then I guess you can, but be very careful.
Now, like your doc said, knee braces can help. I used them myself for some time. If they are high quality ones with metallic support then they can be quite effective.
I would suggest a combination of light weight lifting and some cardiovascular workouts before jumping in to volleyball - which is very high impact and will stress your knee to the max. By now, the muscles around your knee would be weaker than they were when you quit, making you more susceptible to over-straining.
If you start training, take it slow and be very sensitive to how your knees respond. I would suggest joining a gym and begin with a stair climber. Those machines put far less strain on your knees than running (let alone volleyball), and are also the best of the cardio equipment at strengthening the lower body. If that goes well then, after a few weeks, I would add some light weight training.
This way you can get into it gradually, get into better shape at the same time, and strengthen the legs before you expose them to real stress.
Good luck.
Edit: Oh, a quick note: It should be an independent action stair climber (which are most common these days). i.e. The kind where you can push down on one step without having the other one automatically come up. The others (dependent action stair climbers) are bad for the knees.
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