Five Ways to Protect Your ACL and Stay Active in Colorado

Colorado is a great place to live if you like to move. Between hiking, skiing, biking, or just staying active outside, it’s no surprise that knees take a beating here. And at Moberly Physical Therapy, we see a lot of folks dealing with one of the most frustrating injuries around: a torn ACL.

It’s a tough one. Recovery takes time and focus. And if you’ve gone through it once, you probably don’t want to do it again. Whether you’re trying to prevent a first-time injury or avoid another tear, there are a few things you can do that make a real difference.

Here’s what we recommend to athletes and active people across the Denver Metro area.

1. Check How You Land

If you’re jumping or doing any sport that involves quick movements—think skiing, basketball, or trail running—how you land matters. A lot.

We’ve seen people hurt themselves simply by landing the wrong way. Knees that cave in or lock out straight take on more force than they should. It’s better to land with a soft bend in your knees and keep them in line with your toes. It might feel awkward at first, but practicing it regularly helps.

Even if you’re not a high-level athlete, it’s worth paying attention to.

2. Don’t Forget About Your Glutes and Hamstrings

Most people focus on the front of their legs, like the quads. That makes sense—they’re easier to train, and you feel them working. But the muscles in the back—your hamstrings and glutes—do a lot to keep your knees steady.

Exercises like bridges, step-downs, and single-leg deadlifts are great for building strength where it really counts. If you hike or ski often, this kind of training can help you stay more balanced and prevent wear and tear.

We often hear people say, “I didn’t realize how weak those muscles were until I started working on them.” It makes a difference fast.

3. Train for What You Actually Do

Colorado’s not flat. Neither are the trails, slopes, or pickup soccer fields most of us use.

That’s why it’s important to train your body to handle uneven ground, sudden changes in direction, and all the other stuff that happens outside of a gym. Try adding agility work, balance drills, or lateral movements into your week.

You don’t need fancy equipment. A few cones, some tape on the floor, or a hill near your house can do the job. It’s not about looking good while you train—it’s about getting your knees ready for the real world.

4. Take Time to Warm Up

We get it. You’ve got limited time, and you want to get moving. But jumping into a workout without a proper warm-up is a quick way to get hurt.

Take a few minutes to move through squats, lunges, or simple leg swings. If you’re headed to the mountain, even walking around the lot before clipping into your skis can help. When your muscles are ready, your knees are safer.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just give your body a chance to catch up before asking it to work hard.

5. Pay Attention to What Feels Off

This one’s personal for a lot of people. If you’ve had an ACL tear before, you probably know when something doesn’t feel right. It might be a little soreness that lingers or a slight wobble in your step. Don’t ignore that.

You don’t need to panic at every ache. But if your knee keeps bugging you, or if it swells after activity, it’s worth getting checked. Sometimes, small changes in your movement or routine are all you need to avoid something worse.

It’s not about sitting out every time something hurts—it’s about knowing your body and acting early when something feels off.

Keep Doing What You Love

Living in Colorado means staying active is just part of life. Whether you’re hiking with your dog, running Green Mountain, or skiing every weekend in winter, your knees are always working.

At Moberly Physical Therapy, we help people across the Denver Metro area stay strong and steady after injury, and help prevent the next one. Care is provided by a Doctor of Physical Therapy who knows how to get you back to doing what you love, safely.

You don’t have to overcomplicate it. Just move with purpose, build strength where it counts, and take care of the signs your body gives you. That’s how you keep going—year after year.