Knee Replacement Exercises
Knee replacement exercises are a vital part of the recovery process to ensure you get the best results from your new knee. Here are some exercises that are really good to do in the early stages following a knee replacement.
Knee Replacement Exercises - Laying Down
Foot Pumps
Purpose: Promote good circulation in your leg and prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis (blood clot)
Starting position: Laying flat on your back or sitting up. Leg and knee straight
Action: Pull your foot up towards you, keeping the rest of your leg straight. Hold for 3 seconds. Then point your toes down away from you. Hold for 3 seconds
Repetition: Repeat for about 1 minute every 2-3 hours
Note: You can stop doing this exercise once you are regularly walking around
Ankle Circles
Purpose: Promote good circulation in your leg to prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis (blood clot)
Starting position: Laying flat on your back or sitting up. Leg and knee straight
Action: Move your ankles as if you were drawing circles with your feet. Do this for about 1 mi-nute and then repeat in the opposite direction
Repetition: 1 minute in each direction every 2-3 hours
Note: You can stop doing this exercise once you are regularly walking around
Quad Clenches
Purpose: Maintain and strengthen the Quads without moving the knee, enable full straighten-ing of the knee
Starting position: Laying flat on your back or sitting up. Leg and knee straight
Action: Tighten the muscle on the front of the thigh by pushing your knee down. You should feel your thigh muscles clench. Hold for 3 seconds
Repetition: Repeat 10-20x every 3-4 hours
Variations: If you are struggling to get your knee to straighten fully, place a rolled up towel underneath the ankle so that your leg is lifted slightly on the bed. Then do the exercise as de-scribed. Lifting the knee up slightly lets gravity help the knee to straighten
Heel Slides - Laying
Intro: This is really good hip replacement exercise to do in the early stages to loosen your hip up without needing much strength
Starting Position: Laying flat on your back or sitting up. Leg and knee straight out on a bed or along the floor
Action: Slide your heel towards your bottom as far as you comfortably can, bending your hip and knee. Keep your heel on the bed/floor. Hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly return to starting position
Repetition: Repeat 10-30 times, 2-3x daily. Gradually aim to bend your knee a little more each time
Progression: Carry out the exercise as above but when you’ve bent your knee as much as you can hook a towel over the ankle and pull it towards you to help the knee bend further – you can achieve the same effect by hooking your opposite foot over the ankle and pushing with that leg to gain more knee bending
Variations: Make the exercise easier by placing a board and/or a plastic bag underneath your foot so you have a slippery surface making it easier to move
Short Arcs
Intro: Good strengthening exercise to start with as it doesn’t require much movement.
Starting position: Laying flat on your back or sitting up with your leg horizontal on a flat sur-face such as a bed. Place a rolled-up towel (approximately 10cm diameter) under the knee.
Action: Pull your toes towards you and clench you thigh muscles. Slowly lift your foot up off the bed until your knee is straight (keep your knee resting on the towel). Hold for 3-5 secs and slowly lower.
Repetition: Repeat 10-30 times, 2-3x daily.
Progression: Increase the size of the towel under the knee .
Straight Leg Raise
Intro: Excellent hip replacement exercise for strengthening the quads without having to bend the knee. Also makes getting in and out of bed easier. Note: Do not do this if you have a history of back problems
Starting position: Laying flat on your back. Leg and knee straight
Action: Pull your toes towards you and tighten/clench the muscle on the front of the thigh, locking your knee straight. Lift your foot up about 6 inches off the bed. Hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower. Ensure your knee stays straight the whole time
Repetition: Repeat 10-20 times, 2x daily
Progression: Add a weight once you can do this without weights (for example, by wearing a shoe, or using an ankle weight)
Knee Replacement Exercises - Seated
Long Arcs
Purpose: Strengthen quads, increase mobility, great to do anytime sitting for prolonged periods (30 mins+)
Starting position: Sitting on firm chair with knee bent and foot on floor
Action: Lift your foot up and straighten your knee as much as possible. Hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower
Repetition: 5-20 times, 3x daily
Progression: Strengthen further by adding a weight by wearing a shoe or ankle weights
Heel Slides - Sitting
Purpose: Increase mobility and aid circulation
Starting Position: Sitting on chair with knee bent and foot on floor
Action: Slide foot backwards on the floor as far as comfortable so you are bending the knee more. Hold 3-5 secs
Repetition: 10-25 reps 3x daily
Progression:
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Hook other foot around front of ankle and push backwards with it to further bend knee
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Once you have slid your heel back as far as you can, raise yourself up on your chair using your arms and slide you bottom forwards keeping your foot still. You will find this makes your knee bend even more
Buttock Clenches
Purpose: Maintain & strengthen glutes (buttocks) without knee moving. If glutes are weak, more force goes thru hip & knee
Starting position: Laying down or sitting up
Action: Clench your buttocks together and hold for 3 seconds. You should feel yourself rise up slightly
Repetition: Repeat 10-20x every 3-4 hours
Knee Marching
Intro: 4 exercises in one - Strengthens quads, improves hip mobility, improves circulation and loosen up the legs when you’ve been sitting for a while
Starting Position: Sit in a chair with your feet on the floor
Action: March your legs up and down one at a time. Lifting your knee and foot up and then back down
Repetition: Repeat for about 1 minute, 2x daily and any time you are sitting for more than 20 minutes to stop your knee getting stiff
Knee Replacement Exercises - Standing
Kick Backs (Standing Knee Raises)
Intro: This helps strengthen the knee & hip and also helps improve flexibility – both vital com-ponents of hip replacement exercises rehabilitation
Starting Position: Stand up straight holding on to something stable eg chair or table
Action: Lift your foot up as far as you can towards your bottom, bending the knee. Hold for 3-5 seconds
Repetition: Repeat 5-25 times, 2x daily
Progression: Add a weight (shoe or ankle weight)
Note:
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Don’t bend forwards - keep your body upright
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Keep your knees in line with each other- don’t let your thigh come forwards
Heel Raises
Purpose: Strengthen the calf muscles to help support the hip
Starting position: Stand with your feet slightly apart, weight equally distributed, holding onto something solid for balance eg kitchen work surface or wall.
Action: Rise up onto your toes lifting your heels as high as possible. Keep your body upright (don’t bend forwards). Hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower
Repetition: Repeat 10-30 times, 2x daily
