Comfortable cadence, low resistance. Keep the knee tracking straight over the toe.

Outdoor or treadmill, comfortable pace. Knee-friendly aerobic warm-up.

Light pressure on the operative-side quad. Skip directly over the patella.

Slow passes; longer dwell on tender spots. Avoid rolling directly on the operative knee joint line.

Roller under upper-mid back, hands behind head. Lengthen, don't crank.

Forearms vertical on the door jambs, elbows at 90° and shoulder height. Step one foot through and lean forward — chest opens, mid-back extends.

Supine or seated, legs straight. Pump both feet up and down through full range — toes toward shin, then point. Drives circulation and ankle ROM. Stop only when sleeping.

Supine, leg straight. Push the back of the knee down into the mat, squeezing the quad (especially the VMO above the inner knee). Hold 10 s, release. Builds extension and quad activation without joint load.

Supine or seated, legs relaxed. Squeeze the gluteal muscles together as hard as comfortable, hold 10 s, release. Pure isometric — no leg movement. Wakes up the glutes when standing isn't yet tolerated.

Supine, knee slightly bent. Press the heel down into the mat, squeezing the hamstring. Hold 10 s, release. Hamstring activation without knee flexion load.

Supine. Heel propped on a rolled towel or foam roller (4–6 inches up), the back of the knee unsupported. Let gravity push the knee toward full extension. Start at 1 min; progress to 5–15 min as tolerated. Passive, no muscle work — single most important drill for recovering full extension.

Supine. Slide the heel along the mat back toward the butt, bending the knee through your current ROM, hold 5 s. Then slide back to straight, hold 5 s. Heel stays on the mat throughout. Key ROM driver early — drop when the bike replaces it (wk 3-4).

Both feet planted on the mat, knees bent ~90°. Drive through both heels to lift hips, hold briefly, lower under control. Bilateral version of the glute bridge — gentler than single-leg. Graduates to single-leg from wk 3+.

Seated upright in a chair, both feet on the floor. Slowly straighten the working knee to full extension (foot lifts forward), hold the locked-out position 5 s, then slowly lower back down. Switch legs. Active terminal extension drill — pairs with the heel-propped passive extension.

Sit upright on a chair. Slide the working heel back along the floor under the chair, bending the knee past 90°. Hold the deepest comfortable position 5 s, then slide back out. Gravity-assisted flexion drill — pairs with the bike for hitting 110°+ ROM.

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.

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.

Sitting, feet together, knees splayed. Hold the stretch; add a gentle forward lean and side rotations.

One foot planted, the other straight out. Drive through the heel; ribs down.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Back foot up on a wall or couch, front leg planted at 90°. Front-rack the hip.

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.

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.

Stand on the middle of a band, loop the other end above the working knee (on the thigh, not the ankle — less knee strain).Stand on the middle of a band, loop the other end above the working knee (on the thigh, not the ankle — less knee strain).Bodyweight — slow tempo, focus on the squeeze at the top. 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.

Stand on the middle of a band, loop the other end around the working ankle.Stand on the middle of a band, loop the other end around the working ankle.Bodyweight — slow tempo, focus on the squeeze at the top of the lift. Working leg straight, toes forward, torso upright. Lift the leg out to the side, hold, lower. Wall hand for balance. Switch legs. Outer hip (glute med + TFL).

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.

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.

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.

Toes up on a foam roller foam roller folded towel, book, or low step edge, heel on the floor. Hands flat on the wall in front. Lean forward into the wall to deepen the calf stretch. Hold 60 s knee straight (gastroc), then 60 s knee slightly bent (soleus). Switch legs.

Stand near a wall for balance. Rise slowly to toes, lower in control. Knees soft.

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.

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.

Same wall-isometric as the wall sit but shallower (not past your tolerated flexion — typically ~30–60°) and briefer holds. The rebuilding version before you can tolerate the full 90° wall sit 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.

Reach the same-side arm overhead, side-bend away. Breathe into the ribs.

Elbows pinned to ribs, 90° at the elbow. Rotate the forearm out then in.

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.