Do you have any PT lined up?
I had/have torn meniscus in both knees and ACL tears. I did not have surgery, but had PT for 8 weeks that strengthened my knees enough to avoid having surgery. This was 10 years ago.
The pieces of broken meniscus shifted out of the way during PT. I could not bend my knee more than 30 degrees past straight leg. Now I have full range of motion enough to kick my butt.
I can do HiiT, Step, Boot Camp, Kickboxing, Plyometrics - anything at all with the exception of running/jogging as in a race. I can run and jog in place. It's the forward motion impact of running that is problematic.
I hike, bike, do everything. Cycling was actually recommended by my PT because it is a straight line and no impact exercise.
Although I can't answer your question about when you can get back to your activities, I can tell you that you should be able to do everything you've always done in the past.
If you are in good physical condition, you should be able to get back to some form of lower body, non-impact exercise very soon. Ask your doctor for guidance.
If I had needed surgery, the orthopedic surgeon and the PT felt I would have been back to my regular exercise routine in 6 months - that was with ACL repair and meniscus repair. I also have what was termed as severe osteo-arthritis. Something I never even knew! Thanks to Cathe for keeping me healthy and strong enough to never even know I had a "problem."
Good luck in your recovery. Please get some guidance from your surgeon/doctor on how much stress and exercise you should be doing and how you can progress safely. You want to move forward, not suffer a setback.
You'll be enjoying all your workouts again very soon.
