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Skip BreadcrumbsHome At Home Recovering at Home Accelerating Your Recovery

 Accelerating Your Recovery

Therapist working on knee

A key part of a good recovery at home will be to follow the list of "precautions" you would have received while you were in hospital.

You really need to work hard and commit to your recovery. This is not a good time to sit around all day in a chair. While it is hard work, the long-term benefits to improving your quality of life are worth it! 

If you had knee replacement surgery you will be visiting a physiotherapist as part of your physiotherapy program. If you have had hip replacement surgery, you should discuss your physiotherapy needs with your surgeon during your post-op visit.

Be sure to keep moving. Continue your daily exercises after you return home to strengthen your muscles.  

Click here to review the rules of what you should and shouldn’t do to protect your hip or knee and to review your exercises you learned during your hospital stay.

Exercises & Precautions

As you get stronger, your physiotherapist may suggest you try progression exercises as part of your rehabilitation and recovery program.  The exercises listed below should be continued until your receive advice from your surgoen or therapist.

To view hip or knee progression exercises that may be part of your recovery program after you return home, click on the following:

Be sure to check with your physiotherapist or surgeon before starting these hip progression exercises at home.

Try to do these exercises at least 3 times a day!

HIP Progression Exercises to do while LYING

Hip Abduction – Lying On Side

Hip Abduction – Lying On Side

  1. Lay on your non-operated side with a pillow between your knees.
  2. Lift your operated leg towards the ceiling.
  3. Hold for 5 seconds, and relax.
  4. Repeat 10 times.

Resisted Hip Abduction (Sideway Movement Lying on Non-Operative Side)

Resisted Hip Abduction (Sideway Movement Lying on Non-Operative Side)

  1. Lay on your non-operated side, with a pillow between your knees.
  2. Place a light weight (2 lbs or 1 kg) around the ankle of your operated leg.
  3. Lift your operated leg up toward the ceiling.
  4. Hold for 5 seconds.
  5. Lower your operated leg back down to the starting position.
  6. Repeat 10 times.

HIP Progression Exercises to do while STANDING

The following exercises can be done using either ankle weights or tubing.

It helps to stand next to a sturdy chair or counter and hold on for balance.

Resisted Hip Flexion Standing (High Stepping)

Resisted Hip Flexion Standing (High Stepping)

  1. Place a light weight around the ankle of your operated leg.
  2. Bend up your operated leg from the hip as if you are marching or high stepping. (DO NOT LIFT YOUR HIP BEYOND 90 DEGREES).
  3. Hold for 5 seconds.
  4. Lower your leg down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

Resisted Hip Extension Standing (Moving Leg Backwards)

Resisted Hip Extension Standing (Moving Leg Backwards)

  1. Place a light weight around the ankle of your operated leg.
  2. Move your operated leg straight backwards a distance of 1 foot (30 cm).
  3. Hold for 5 seconds.
  4. Return back to starting position.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

Resisted Hip Abduction Standing (Moving Leg Out Sideways)

Resisted Hip Abduction Standing (Moving Leg Out Sideways)

It is very important that you check with your physiotherapist or surgeon before starting this hip progression exercise at home. 

  1. Place a light weight around the ankle or your operated leg.
  2. Move your operated leg out sideways from your body.
  3. Hold for 5 seconds.
  4. Return back to starting position.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

Wall Squats

Wall Squats

It is very important that you check with your physiotherapist or surgeon before starting this hip progression exercise at home.

  1. Standing with your back against a wall, place your feet shoulder width apart and a foot (30 cm) away from the wall.
  2. Lower/slide your body down the wall so that your knees are slightly bent.
  3. Hold for 5 seconds.
  4. Return back to starting position.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

Single Leg Stance (Balance)

Single Leg Stance (Balance)

It is very important that you check with your physiotherapist or surgeon before starting this hip progression exercise at home. 

  1. Stand beside a sturdy chair or counter, and lightly touch the chair/counter with your hand for balance.
  2. Stand only on your operated leg.
  3. If you feel steady standing on your operated leg, slowly take your hand off the chair/counter.
  4. Try to maintain your balance for several seconds.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

Quad Strengthening Using Stool (Step Up in Standing)

Quad Strengthening Using Stool (Step Up in Standing)

It is very important that you check with your physiotherapist or surgeon before starting this hip progression exercise at home.

  1. Place the foot of your operated leg securely on a stool 6-8 inches tall (15-20cm).
  2. Straighten the knee of your operated leg slowly, lifting the non-operated off the floor.
  3. Hold for 5 seconds.
  4. Let your operated leg bend slowly, bringing the non-operated leg back to the floor. Make sure to keep your upper body straight.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

Be sure to check with your physiotherapist or surgeon before starting these knee progression exercises at home.

Try to do these exercises at least 3 times a day.

KNEE Progression Exercises to do while LYING

Knee Extension Stretch - Lying Face Down

Knee Extension Stretch - Lying Face Down

  1. Lie face down on your stomach.
  2. Place a folded towel under your thigh, so that your lower leg and foot are raised.
  3. Allow your knee to straighten as much as possible.
  4. Hold for 10 seconds and relax.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

Hamstring Stretch Lying (Stretching Back of Your Knee)

Hamstring Stretch Lying (Stretching Back of Your Knee)

  1. Lie on your back with you operated leg straight.
  2. Place a roll (large juice tin wrapped in a towel) under the ankle of your operated leg.
  3. Place a heavy weight on your thigh.
  4. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and relax. You should feel a stretch in the back of your operated knee.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

Resisted Quads Over Roll - Using Weight in Lying (Knee Over Roll in Lying, Using Weight for Resistance)

Resisted Quads Over Roll - Using Weight in Lying (Knee Over Roll in Lying, Using Weight for Resistance)

  1. Lying on your back with both legs straight, place a roll (large juice can rolled in a towel) under the knee of your operated leg.
  2. Place a light weight (2-3 lbs) around the ankle of your operated leg.
  3. Straighten your knee by flexing the muscle on the top of your thigh, and lifting your foot up off the bed.
  4. Hold for 5 seconds.
  5. Slowly lower your leg.
  6. Repeat 10 times.

KNEE Progression Exercises to do while SITTING

Sit on a firm chair with a seat that is at the same height with your knees. You can use a dense foam cushion to make the chair taller if you need to.

The following exercises can be done using a piece of tubing.

Resisted Knee Extension with Tubing (Straightening Your Knee Using Tubing for Resistance)

Resisted Knee Extension with Tubing (Straightening Your Knee Using Tubing for Resistance)

  1. Using a piece of tubing, tie one end to a heavy piece of furniture, or in a doorframe behind a chair.
  2. Sit well back in a chair and loop the other end of the tubing around the ankle of your operated leg.
  3. With both feet on the ground, raise the foot of your operated leg up, bringing the leg to a straight position.
  4. Lower your operated leg slowly.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

Resisted Knee Flexion with Tubing (Bending Your Knee Using Tubing for Resistance)

Resisted Knee Flexion with Tubing (Bending Your Knee Using Tubing for Resistance)

  1. With a piece of tubing, tie one end to a heavy piece of furniture, or in a doorframe in front of a chair.
  2. Sit well back in a chair and loop the other end of the tubing around the ankle of your operated leg.
  3. Bend the knee of your operated leg as back as far as possible.
  4. Let your operated leg straighten slowly.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

 

KNEE Progression Exercises to do while STANDING

It helps to stand next to a sturdy chair or counter and hold on for balance.

Knee Flexion Stretch Using a Step (Stretching the Front of Your Knee on a Step)

Knee Flexion Stretch Using a Step (Stretching the Front of Your Knee on a Step)

  1. Stand straight, facing the stairs.
  2. Place the foot of your operated leg on a step (the higher the step, the more stretch you will feel). Keep the non-operated leg at the bottom of the stairs.
  3. Shift your body weight forward, bending the knee of your operated leg. Be sure not to lean forward at the waist.
  4. Hold for 10 seconds, then relax.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

Wall Squats

Wall Squats

It is very important that you check with your physiotherapist or surgeon before starting this hip progression exercise at home.

  1. Standing with your back against a wall, place your feet shoulder width apart and a foot (30 cm) away from the wall.
  2. Lower/slide your body down the wall so that your knees are slightly bent.
  3. Hold for 5 seconds.
  4. Return back to starting position.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

Quad Strengthening Using Stool (Step Up in Standing)

Quad Strengthening Using Stool (Step Up in Standing)

It is very important that you check with your physiotherapist or surgeon before starting this hip progression exercise at home.

  1. Place the foot of your operated leg securely on a stool 6-8 inches tall (15-20cm).
  2. Straighten the knee of your operated leg slowly, lifting the non-operated off the floor.
  3. Hold for 5 seconds.
  4. Let your operated leg bend slowly, bringing the non-operated leg back to the floor. Make sure to keep your upper body straight.
  5. Repeat 10 times.