Stretching
Hamstring: Seated single leg
Sit on the ground. Put one leg out straight, bend the other one up to the figure 4 position. Square off your hips to the straight leg. Reach toward your toes of the straight leg with your opposite arm. Keep your knee straight, reach until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings (back of your legs). Hold for 20-30 seconds. Repeat on the other leg
VIDEO
Hamstring: Seated bilateral
Sit on the ground with both feet together, straight out in front of you. Reach forward as far as you can while KEEPING YOUR KNEES STRAIGHT. Stop when you feel a stretch, in your hamstrings (back of the legs). Hold for 20-30 seconds
VIDEO
Hamstring: Laying with a band
Lay on your back. Put a strap or band around your foot and slowly raise your leg straight up. While keeping your knee straight, lift your leg up until you feel a stretch in the back of the leg (hamstring area). Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other leg.
VIDEO
Hip flexor: laying (supine)
Lay on your back, at the edge of a bed, couch or sturdy table. Keeping your shoulders down scoot your leg toward the edge. Slowly drop the outer leg towards the floor until you feel a stretch in the front of your hip. Keep the inside leg bent with your foot on the bed for support. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other leg.
VIDEO
Hip flexor: standing
Stand in a lunge position (back leg straight, front knee bent to 90 degrees). Square off your hips so they are facing forward. Push your hips forward making sure to keep your chest up. To get a deeper stretch, you can reach your arms up overhead. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other leg.
VIDEO
Hip internal and external rotation stretches
Sit with both legs bent up to the side. One leg will be bent up as if in a butterfly stretch, the other will be bent backwards as if you are W sitting. Both knees should be at 90 degree angles. Square off your hips to your left leg, bend forward and try to get your head to touch your knee. Hold for 30 seconds. Then sit up, square off to the right leg and again, bend forward at the hips. Hold again for 30 seconds. Switch your legs and repeat.
VIDEO
IT band: standing
Step the affected leg behind the other. Putting most of your weight through your back leg (the front leg is for balance). Stand up tall, and slowly push your hips sideways, away from your back foot. KEY: make sure your hip aren’t moving forward or back and also make sure your back isn’t twisting. Once you feel a stretch, hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side
VIDEO
IT band: laying (supine) with a band
Lay flat on your back. Wrap a band or strap around your foot. Keeping your knee straight, bring your leg up as high as you can. Then drop your foot down ACROSS your body until you feel a stretch along the outside of your leg. NOTE: Keep your shoulders flat on the ground. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the opposite leg.
VIDEO
Quad: laying (supine)Lay on your stomach. Wrap a strap or band around your foot behind you. Pull the strap over your shoulder as you bend your knee up as far as you can. The goal is to get your heel to touch your
bottom. Make sure to keep the heel in the middle of your buttocks and NOT OUT TO THE SIDE. Hold for 20-30 seconds. Repeat on the other leg.
VIDEO
Strengthening Hips and Glutes
Step ups to the side
Stand sideways on a step or the bottom of the stairs, one foot on the ground & the other up on the step. Focus on the leg that’s up on the step. Keep your core tight, hips level and prevent your knee from wobbling side to side. Step up and then slowly bend down, tapping your heel before returning to standing. The goal is to have minimal movement of your hips and core. Try putting your hands on your hips so you can make sure your hips aren’t swaying. Do 10-15 reps. Repeat on the other leg.
VIDEO
Standing hip abduction
Stand on one leg. Keeping your hips level and core steady, slowly kick your other leg out to the side. Your goal is to only move that leg. The goal is to have minimal movement of your hips and core. Don’t lean sideways. Try putting your hands on your hips so you can make sure your hips aren’t swaying. Do 10-15 reps. Repeat on the other leg.
VIDEO
Side lying hip abduction
Lay on your side with your hips stacked over each other (Make sure you aren’t leaning forward or backwards). Keeping your top leg straight and your toes pointing forward, raise your leg up and slightly back. It’s important that it goes slightly backwards to ensure it stays in line with your body. We have a natural tendency to flex at the hips and turn our toes up to the sky, try to avoid this. Do 10-15 reps. Repeat on the other leg.
VIDEO
Clamshells
Lay on your side, bend your knees up so your hip are at a 45 degree angle and your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Keep your feet together. Slowly rotate your top leg up so your knees separate. Hold at the top for 1 second and return to the starting position. Do 10-15 reps. Repeat on the other leg. NOTE: To make this harder, you can put an exercise band just above your knees.
VIDEO
Monster walk sidestep
Start in a partial squat position with your feet and knees stacked shoulder width apart. Keep your chest up and make sure your knees stay shoulder width apart and over your toes. Stay low, in your squat position and start sidestepping. Make sure you keep the distance between your feet. Take 3-5 steps to the right, then take 3-5 steps to the left. Stand up, rest. Repeat 2-3 more times for a total of 10-15 steps each side.
VIDEO
Stationary lunges
Take a BIG step forward. Keep your feet planted. Make sure your toes point forward, shoulders and chest is up, your core is tight and hips level. Drop down into a lunge position (bend your front leg). Don’t let your front knee go past your toe. Drop down until your back knee almost touches the ground and then stand back up. When you are dropping into the lunge position, maintain an upright posture and make sure your knee doesn’t drop sideways either. Squeeze your glutes on the way up from a lunge position. Do 10-15 reps. Repeat on the other leg.
VIDEO
Bridges
Lay flat on your back. Bend your knees up until your feet are directly under your knees (typically about a hand breath away from your buttocks). Raise your hips off the ground and up to the sky until your knees, hips and shoulders are all in a line. Squeeze your glute (buttocks) muscles and hold your hips up for 5 seconds. Return your hips do the ground and repeat 8-10 times.
VIDEO
Bridge with single leg knee extension
NOTE: This is a more difficult progression from the standard bridge. Only recommend doing this once you have mastered the standard bridge.
Lay flat on your back. Bend your knees up until your feet are directly under your knees (typically about a hand breath away from your buttocks). Raise your hips off the ground and up to the sky until your knees, hips and shoulders are all in a line. Squeeze your glute (buttocks) muscles and then slowly extend one knee. KEY: is to do this while keeping your hips up and in a straight line with your shoulders and knee. Hold your leg up for 5-10 seconds. Return your foot down, followed by your hips. Repeat 8-10 times.
VIDEO
Squats by a wall
To help learn how to do a squat with good form, we recommend doing squats by a wall or with a chair behind you. The goal is to lean how to sit your bottom backwards so your knees never go out past the front of your toes.
Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart about 6-8 inches away from the wall. Keep your core tight and chest up, slowly squat down until your bottom touches the wall. Tap the wall and come back up to standing. Do 10-15 reps.
VIDEO
Knee motion and strength
Ankle pumps
To help with circulation, move your ankles up and down. As if you are driving a car. Pointing and flexing your ankle. Pump your ankle up and down, 10-15 times on each leg. OK to do both legs at the same time.
If you have been recommended to do this post-operatively. Recommend you do this every 1-2 hours while awake for the first 1-2 weeks or you are more mobile.
VIDEO
Quad sets
Either laying or sitting, bend your non-affected leg up. Keep your affected leg out straight. Activate your thigh muscle by pushing your knee down to the ground. You should see your quad tense up. Hold the contraction for 5 seconds. Relax and do 10-15 more times.
VIDEO
Heel slides
Start with both legs out straight. If you are wearing a brace, make sure your brace is unlocked to allow for motion. Slowly, pull your heel toward you bottom as you bend your knee. You should feel a contraction in the back of your leg (hamstring area). Bend your knee up as much as you can, hold that position for a count of 10 seconds and then slowly return your leg out straight. Repeat 5-10 times. Each day, try to bend your knee just a little further.
To help your heel slide easily, you should be performed this exercise either on a) hardwood floors with socks OR b) on a bed or carpet with a plastic bag under your heel. Whatever is easiest for you.
VIDEO
Straight leg raise
Start by performing a quad set (push your knee down to the ground to get it straight and activate your quad). Once your leg is straight and quad is activated, lift your leg up off the ground 6-12 inches. This should be done slow and controlled. Hold your leg up in the air for 1 second. Then just as slowly, return your leg back to the ground. Do as many as you can (Max 30).
If you are doing this post-operatively, sometimes it can take a few days before you can do 1. Your goal is to get to 25 in a row without stopping.
VIDEO