5 strengthening exercises after knee surgery

Along with regular exercise, strength-based workouts are not-so-secret weapons to speed up your recovery from knee surgery. But which ones can help you get back to the activities you love the fastest?

Here, we look at 5 ways to strengthen key muscles and improve your range of motion, based on expert advice from Physiotherapist Dave Morarty.

Don’t forget to check in with your physio or treating team before undertaking any recovery program.

This exercise takes place on a seated leg curl machine and helps you isolate your hamstrings to build strength in the back of your thighs.

The hamstring is a hip extensor muscle that helps you push off when you’re walking or running. Hamstrings are also one of the main knee flexor muscles, which are necessary for bending your knee and improving your range of motion, a key part of recovery.

Leg extensions are usually done with a machine that allows you to sit and raise a padded bar with your legs to work your quadriceps.

As the largest muscle group at the front of your thighs, quadriceps help keep you upright and balanced. They’re your thighs’ main antigravity muscle, and they get weaker after knee surgery. So, it’s important to strengthen your quadriceps as soon as possible.

This resistance training exercise engages both the quadriceps and buttocks (glutes) by pushing your legs against weights on a leg press machine.

Both of these muscles are part of the ‘antigravity chain’ which keeps you upright and propels you forward. These muscles weaken after knee surgery, so it’s important to strengthen them to get you back to the everyday activities you enjoy.

This exercise is particularly good for your quadriceps and buttocks.

Placing an exercise ball between yourself and a wall, simply complete a series of squats. This will help you improve your range of motion and strengthen the muscles in your antigravity chain.

Don’t forget to engage your core while doing the squats to protect your back. And remember, don’t overdo it. Only squat to a depth that feels comfortable.

Exercise bikes are a great way to work your knee joint and open it up to improve blood flow.

Because it’s not weight-bearing, riding an exercise bike is usually a pain-free option to include in your prehabilitation program (strengthening work before surgery). As well as keeping everything moving, this can also relieve knee pain before surgery.

While these exercises can help to strengthen and work key muscles that weaken after surgery, every person’s injury, surgery and recovery is different.

Make sure you surround yourself with a treating team that you trust, and always work at your own level and pace. And remember, recovery always takes time, and consistency is key.

Musculoskeletal Health Australia provides information and support for people living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. Visit their website or call them on 1800 263 265.

Pain Australia works towards improving the quality of life for those living with pain. Visit their website for resources and support, including their National Pain Services Directory.

NSW Government Health’s Patient Roadmap is a handy step-by-step guide to preparing for and recovering from surgery.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association can help you find a physio near you.