Your surgeon or physiotherapist will tell you when to start these exercises after your knee surgery.
Exercise is important after surgery:
- It makes your new knee stronger and more flexible.
- It can help prevent blood clots.
- It will help you to get back to your everyday activities sooner.
Your healthcare team may suggest you add some or all of these exercises to the ones you were doing before surgery. They will tell you how often to do the exercises, how many times to repeat each exercise, and how much force or pressure you can put on your new knee.
The exercises may feel uncomfortable at first, but it’s important to keep doing them. Each exercise includes step-by-step instructions and an image to help you do them correctly.
Remember to:
- Do the exercises on both legs to make them equally strong and flexible.
- Do them slowly and with control.
- Do
not force your new knee into a position that causes you pain or discomfort.
Slowly do more exercise with more pressure as you feel ready. Talk to your physiotherapist if you have any questions about exercising.
- Sit in a steady chair. Put an elastic loop (resistance band) around both ankles.
- Lifting 1 foot, straighten your leg while keeping your other foot on the floor as you stretch the elastic loop.
- Slowly lower your foot back to the starting position.
- Repeat at least 5 times.
- Sit in a steady chair. Put an elastic band around both ankles.
- Put 1 foot on a stool. Pull your other foot back under the chair as you stretch the elastic. Keep your other foot steady as you stretch the elastic.
- Slowly move your foot back to the starting position.
- Repeat at least 5 times.
If you need to use your arms while you build up strength in your legs, use a chair with armrests. Use a pillow to raise the seat if it’s too low.
- Sit on the front edge of a steady chair with your knees shoulder width apart.
- Make sure your knees are lined up with your feet.
- Slowly raise and lower yourself from the chair without using your arms (if you can).
- Put the same pressure on both your legs. Don’t lean forward at the waist.
- Repeat at least 5 times.
- Lie on your stomach with your legs straight.
- Bend 1 leg, lifting the heel toward your buttocks.
- Slowly lower your leg to the starting position.
- Repeat at least 5 times.
- Lie on your stomach. Bend both legs up toward your buttocks.
- Cross 1 leg behind the other at the ankle.
- Use the heel on your outside leg to
gently push the inside leg toward your buttocks.
- Hold for a count of 15.
- Release and repeat at least 5 times.
- Sit with 1 leg bent. Loop a towel around your ankle.
- Using the towel, gently pull your heel toward your buttocks.
- Hold for a count of 15.
- Release and repeat at least 5 times.
- Place 1 end of an elastic loop around a secure object, such as the leg of a sturdy table. Place the other end around 1 thigh, keeping your knee bent slightly.
- Hold onto a table or other steady object.
- Slowly straighten your leg to stretch the elastic loop, keeping your heel on the floor.
- Return slowly to the starting position.
- Repeat at least 5 times.
- Place a solid object 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) thick (like a book or a yoga block) on the floor to use as a step.
- Hold onto a table or counter for balance, and step forward and up onto the object.
- Slowly step back down.
- Repeat on both sides.
- Hold onto a table or counter for balance and move 1 leg forward.
- Bend your forward leg and lean your upper body over your bent knee.
- Hold for a count of 3 to 5.
- Slowly relax and return to a standing position.
- Repeat.
- Stand facing a wall. Place your hands on the wall.
- Move 1 leg forward and bend it while keeping your other leg straight.
- Slowly lean your hips toward the wall, until you feel a stretch in the back of the straight leg.
- Hold for a count of 3 to 5.
- Slowly relax the stretch.
- Repeat.
Credit: All images on this page belong to the Bone and Joint Health Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services.
