Multi-staged exercise sheet
- Early-stage exercises
- Mid-stage exercises
- Late-stage exercises
Introduction including who the leaflet is for and what is its aim
This leaflet is for anyone who has had a knee injury and has received recommendations on exercises to do. It is designed to be progressive meaning that the exercises become harder with each stage. Easier exercises are in the early stage, and the exercises become more difficult in the mid-stage. Finally, the late stage is to prepare you for a return to running/sport.
Early-stage knee exercises
Lie on your back, with legs straight. Bend your knee by sliding your heel towards your buttocks and return to the starting position Repeat 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Lie on your back with one leg bent and the other leg straight. Bend the ankle of the straight leg and press the back of the knee against the floor using your front thigh muscles. Hold the tension for a moment and then relax. Hold for seconds. Repeat 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Lie on your back with one leg bent and the other leg straight. Place a towel roll under the straight knee. Bend your ankle and straighten the knee using your front thigh muscles. Keep the back of your knee against the towel roll. Keep the tension for a moment and then relax. Repeat 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Lie on your back with one leg bent and foot on the floor, the other leg is straight. Bend the ankle of the straight leg, contract the muscles of your front thigh and lift the leg off the floor keeping it straight. In a controlled manner, return to the starting position. Repeat 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Stand tall, with your weight distributed evenly on both feet, and take support if needed. Rise up onto your toes and in a controlled manner return to the starting position. Repeat 3 sets of 8 repetitions.
Stand tall and take support if needed. Bend your knee and take the heel towards your buttocks. Keep both thighs parallel. Return to the starting position. Repeat 3 sets of 8 repetitions
Stand tall with your feet approximately hip-width apart and weight distributed evenly on both feet. Make sure the chair behind you is at a suitable distance from you. Bend your knees and hips and squat down onto the chair. Knees and toes should be pointing in the same direction. Sit down lightly and push back up to the starting position using your front thighs and buttock muscles. Repeat 3 sets of 8 repetitions
Measure three foot-lengths away from the base of a wall and place feet together with hands on wall. Lean forward until chest touches the wall making sure that heels do not leave the ground. You should feel a stretch in the back of the calf.
Stand tall with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Toes pointing forward or turned a few degrees outwards. Keep your chest up and your spine and neck in a neutral position. Squat down by sitting back and bring your arms forward. Push back up through the heels, chest up, and straighten your hips. Repeat 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Stand tall behind a step. Place your whole foot on the step and step up. Note: While stepping up keep hip, knee and toes aligned. Repeat 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Stand tall, with your legs hip-width apart and a weight on the floor between your feet. Push your hips backwards and tilt your trunk forward as you grasp the weight with both hands. Your spine and neck should stay in neutral position and the forward bend should come from your hips. Lift the weight up by straightening your hips. Use your buttocks and hamstrings. Keep abdominals tight to avoid excessively extending your lower back. Note: The weight should travel straight up and down between your legs. Repeat 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart. Take one long step forward and squat down so that your rear knee touches the floor and hip is fully straightened. Shin of the front leg and trunk is upright. Stand back up pushing through your heel, bringing your front foot back to the starting position. Note: Keep hips, knees and toes aligned in both legs. Repeat 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Stand tall on one leg, with weight evenly on your foot and toes pointing forwards. Balance and rise onto your toes. In a controlled manner return to the starting position. Repeat 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Balance on one leg. Remember to stand tall, with weight evenly on your foot and toes pointing forwards. Repeat 2 x 20 seconds .
Late-stage knee exercises
Start by sitting on a chair. Lift one leg and straighten it forwards. Using the other leg, stand up and straighten your hip and knee. Return to starting position. Remember to maintain hip-knee-toes alignment. Repeat 3 sets of 5 repetitions
Start by standing behind a step/box. Hop on the step/box. Hop or step backwards down to starting position. During the jump take off and landing, remember to maintain hip-knee-toes alignment. Repeat 3 sets of 5 repetitions
Start by standing behind a step/box. With one leg, start hopping back and forth on and off the step. When hopping off the step try to hop immediately back up with as short ground contact time as possible. During the jump take off and landing, remember to maintain hip-knee-toes alignment. Repeat 3 sets of 5 repetitions
My ChartWe would encourage you to sign up for MyChart. This is the electronic patient portal at Cambridge University Hospitals that enables patients to securely access parts of their health record held within the hospital’s electronic patient record system (Epic). It is available via your home computer or mobile device
More information is available on our website: www.cuh.nhs.uk/visiting-our-hospitals/your-appointment/mychart/
Contacts/Further information
References/ Sources of evidence
We are smoke-free
Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the hospital campus. For advice and support in quitting, contact your GP or the free NHS stop smoking helpline on 0800 169 0 169.
Other formats
Help accessing this information in other formats is available. To find out more about the services we provide, please visit our patient information help page (see link below) or telephone 01223 256998. www.cuh.nhs.uk/contact-us/accessible-information/
Contact us
Cambridge University Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust
Hills Road, Cambridge
CB2 0QQ
Telephone +44 (0)1223 245151
https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/contact-us/contact-enquiries/
