Bike
45 min · easy spin
Comfortable cadence, low resistance. Keep the knee tracking straight over the toe.
Walking
45 min · easy pace
Outdoor or treadmill, comfortable pace. Knee-friendly aerobic warm-up.
Theragun pass
3–5 min · quads + glutes + calves
Light pressure on the operative-side quad. Skip directly over the patella.
Foam roller — legs, lats, hips, glutes
5–7 min
Slow passes; longer dwell on tender spots. Avoid rolling directly on the operative knee joint line.
T-spine extension on roller
3 spots × 5 extensions
Roller under upper-mid back, hands behind head. Lengthen, don't crank.
Open book with overhead reach
8–10 reps each side · slow arc
Side-lying, knees bent 90° and stacked (block between knees keeps them pinned). Bottom arm on the floor. Sweep the top arm in a wide overhead arc — up past the head and down behind you, like a slow backstroke. Eyes follow the hand.
Cross-body knee pull (abductors)
60 s each side
Sit upright, one leg straight in front. Bend the other knee and cross it fully over — bent foot flat on the floor on the FAR side of the straight leg. Hug the bent knee and pull diagonally toward the opposite shoulder. Outer hip / piriformis.
Butterfly stretch (adductors)
60 s · lean + rotations
Sitting, feet together, knees splayed. Hold the stretch; add a gentle forward lean and side rotations.
Straight leg raises (seated)
30 each leg
Sit upright on the mat, one knee pulled tight to chest. Other leg straight — tighten the quad, lift 6–10 inches, lower under control. Switch legs. Post-op: lie supine with the opposite knee bent and foot planted (easier from bed).
Single-leg glute bridge
1 × 40 each leg
One foot planted, the other straight out. Drive through the heel; ribs down.
Clamshell with band with band
1 × 60 each side
Side lying, knees bent and stacked. Open the top knee while keeping the heels together. Outer hip (abductors). Band looped just above the knees for resistance.Band looped just above the knees for resistance.Bodyweight only — slow tempo, pause at the top, focus on the squeeze.
Side-lying adductor raise
30 each side
Side lying, top leg bent with the foot planted in front. Bottom leg straight — lift toward the ceiling, lower under control. Inner thigh; pair to the clamshell.
Front plank
60 s hold
Forearms under shoulders, toes tucked. Body in one straight line from head to ankles. Ribs down, glutes squeezed, no hip sag and no hip pike.
Side plank
60 s each side
Supporting elbow under shoulder. Top foot rests flat on the floor in front of (or behind) the bottom foot — kickstand. Top hand on the top hip. Lift the bottom hip clear of the mat, body in one line. Don't let the bottom hip drop. Switch sides.
Hamstring stretch (band) (band) (towel)
60 s each leg
On your back, hook a bandbandtowel or belt around the arch of the foot, pull the straight leg toward the ceiling. Opposite knee bent, foot flat on the mat.
Half-kneeling adductor rock
8–10 each side
One knee on a pad, the other leg straight out to the side — foot flat, toes forward. Hands on the floor in front, back flat. Rock the hips back toward the kneeling heel (deepens the inner-thigh stretch), then forward. Switch sides.
Kneeling lunge tib raise
30 each leg
Half-kneeling lunge: back knee on a pad, back toes tucked under (ball on the floor, heel up). Front foot flat, front knee at 90°, torso upright. Lift the back toes up off the floor toward the back shin, lower under control. Switch legs.
Couch stretch (kneeling lunge)
60 s each side
Back foot up on a wall or couch, front leg planted at 90°. Front-rack the hip.
Door-frame T-spine + pec stretch
3 × 30 s
Forearms vertical on the door jambs, elbows at 90° and shoulder height. Step one foot through and lean forward — chest opens, mid-back extends.
Stair-edge calf stretch
60 s holds · 2 legs / 1 leg · straight + bent
Balls of the feet on a stair edge, heels hang off and drop below the step. Hold 60 s straight-knee (gastroc), then 60 s knees slightly bent (soleus). Repeat single-leg.
Calf raises
1 × 30
Stand near a wall for balance. Rise slowly to toes, lower in control. Knees soft.
Tib raises (wall)
30 each leg
Back flat against the wall. Step one foot slightly forward, heel planted, soft knee. Lift the toes of the front foot up toward your shin, then lower. Heel stays glued down. Switch legs.
Terminal knee extension (TKE) with band
1 × 30 each leg · hold 3 s at lockout
Anchor a band to a door frame at knee height, loop the other end around the BACK of the working knee. Stand facing the anchor, both feet flat. Soften the knee ~20–30°, then drive to FULL LOCKOUT against the band — squeeze the quad (especially the VMO). Hold 3 s, return slowly. Switch legs.
Step-down (eccentric quad)
1 × 20 each leg · slow 3 s descent
Stand on a low step (6–8 inches), one foot planted on top. Slowly lower the other leg off the side — heel taps the floor (no weight on it), then drive back up. Standing leg controls the descent (3 s down). Hands out for balance. Switch legs.
Step-up + terminal knee extension
1 × 30 each leg · hold 3–5 s at the top
Plant the working foot on a low step (6–8 inches), press up and LOCK OUT the standing knee — quad fully contracted. Hold 3–5 s, lower under control. The other leg just taps the floor between reps. Bodyweight TKE.
Standing single-leg banded knee raise
1 × 30 each leg · hold 3–5 s at the top
Stand on the middle of a band, loop the other end above the working knee (on the thigh, not the ankle — less knee strain). March the working knee up toward the chest — knee bent, thigh to hip height, shin hanging. Hold, lower under control. Wall hand for balance. Switch legs. Hip-flexor work.
Standing single-leg banded side raise
1 × 30 each leg · hold 3–5 s at the top
Stand on the middle of a band, loop the other end around the working ankle. Working leg straight, toes forward, torso upright. Lift the leg out to the side against the band, hold, lower. Wall hand for balance. Switch legs. Outer hip (glute med + TFL).
Single-leg RDL with band with band
1 × 40 each leg
Hinge at the hip, back leg straight behind you, slow tempo. Band held in both hands, anchored under the standing foot.Band held in both hands, anchored under the standing foot.Bodyweight — arms reaching toward the floor. Slow eccentric is the load; balance is half the work.
Lateral walk with band with band
1 min
Small steps sideways in a quarter-squat, knees tracking over the toes, hips level. Band above the ankles for resistance.Band above the ankles for resistance.Bodyweight — sink lower in the squat and stay low through the whole minute to load the glutes.
Single-leg balance
30 s eyes open + 30 s eyes closed · each leg
Stand on one foot, soft knee, other foot lifted slightly. Arms relaxed. 30 s eyes open, then 30 s eyes closed (small wobble is fine). Switch legs.
Wall sit
1 × 90 s hold
Back flat on a wall, walk feet out and slide down to 90° knees (thighs parallel, shins vertical). Hold. Arms relaxed. Harder: heels on a folded towel, or single-leg.
Standing QL stretch
60 s each side
Reach the same-side arm overhead, side-bend away. Breathe into the ribs.
Rotator cuff rotations
10 each side
Elbows pinned to ribs, 90° at the elbow. Rotate the forearm out then in.
Band pull-aparts
100 reps
Stand tall, band held shoulder-width, arms straight out at shoulder height. Pull apart by drawing the hands laterally — squeeze the shoulder blades. Return under control.
Wall slides (W → Y)
1 × 20 reps · slow
Back, butt, head flat against a wall, feet 6 inches out. Arms in a W (hands, elbows, forearms touching the wall). Slowly slide overhead to a Y, keeping every contact point pressed. Lower back down.
