UFC featherweight sensation Conor McGregor continues his rehabilitation from ACL surgery. In early February he posted a pic of himself engaged in a component of his rehab regimen. There are three things that I notice in this photo.
1. Most obvious is that he is standing on an unstable surface.
2. He appears to be squatting.
3. The green band around his lower thighs.
This is a complex, but excellent exercise that addresses the goals of strength and balance after ACL surgery. The unstable surface requires that Conor maintain his balance, while simultaneously he is performing a squat. No easy feat to be sure.
However, the added component of the green band makes this exercise even better. The band provides resistance to the hip abductor muscles- the ones on the outside of the hip. These muscles function to move the leg outward. The hip abductor muscles are critically important in controlling valgus (inward) stress on the knee. Undue valgus stress on the knee during jumping and landing could re-injure the ACL.
It appears that Conor is progressing well with his rehab. He injured his knee in his last fight at UFC Fight Night 26 on August 17, 2013