APPENDIX V
Nine Exercises for Knees
Your personalized exercise program (this section is meant to be removed so you can post or keep it in a convenient location)
Perform the checked exercises: ______ times every day
Other instructions: _________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
1
2
3
Ankle Pumps
4
Short Arc Quads
7
Heel Digs
To strengthen and maintain ankle
mobility
To strengthen your thigh muscles
(quadriceps)
To strengthen your hamstring muscles
The exercise: Flex your ankle up
The exercise: Place a rolled towel
dig your heel into the floor and
and down by bringing toes up
under you knee. Raise foot to
back towards yourself.
toward your head and then point-
straighten your knee, then slowly
ing toes down as far as you can.
lower foot.
Repeat: ______ times each leg
Repeat: ______ times each leg
Quad Sets
5
Straight Leg Raise
The exercise: Sit in a chair and
Repeat: ______ times each leg
8
Seated Knee Extension
To strengthen your thigh muscles
To strengthen thigh muscles
To strengthen your thigh muscles
(quadriceps)
(hip flexors)
(quadriceps)
The exercise: Tighten muscles in
The exercise: Keep knee straight
The exercise: Sit on chair or bed.
front of thigh by pushing the back
and lift entire leg off bed. Let leg
Straighten knee as far as you can,
of your knee down into bed. Hold
down slowly. (Keep the opposite
then slowly bend knee as far as it
for a count of 5 and then relax.
knee bent with foot resting on bed.)
will go.
Repeat: ______ times each leg
Repeat: ______ times each leg
Repeat: ______ times each leg
Heel Slides
6
Hamstring Stretch
9
Standing Knee Flexion
To strengthen hamstring muscles and
maintain knee mobility
To stretch the hamstrings (tendons in
back of the knee)
To strengthen muscles in the back of
thigh (hamstrings)
The exercise: Lying with outstretched
The exercise: Sit on couch or bed
The exercise: Stand, holding on to
legs, slowly bend the knee by sliding
with one leg out straight. Lean
a steady surface (like a dresser or
your foot toward you. Slide back to
forward towards your foot with a
countertop). Bend your knee as far
the starting position.
straight back until stretch is felt.
as you can, then lower slowly.
Repeat: ______ times each leg
Repeat: ______ times each leg
Repeat: ______ times each leg
HIGHLAND HOSPITAL
STRONG
H E A LT H