5 best exercises to strengthen your knee after 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.

The first thing to know about when to start exercising after knee surgery is that every person is different. The type of surgery you’ve had, you age, your level of fitness before surgery and many more factors will need to be considered before you start any form of rehabilitation or exercise.

While light movement, such as walking, may begin soon after surgery, resistance exercises will need to wait until it’s safe.

The best person to ask after how to exercise after surgery is your surgeon. They won’t only be able to say when you can start exercising but may connect with you a physiotherapist to help aid your recovery safely and prevent further injury.

Always speak to your doctor before starting any new exercise regime following surgery.

The easiest way to do this exercise is on a seated leg curl machine at the gym. It helps 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.

If you don’t have access to a gym you can do a variation on this exercise. Stand on one foot with your leg slightly bent, bend the other leg up so your foot touches your butt, and gently squeeze the standing leg hamstring muscle, holding onto a wall or chair for support.

Leg extensions can be done in the gym 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.

If you don’t have access to a gym you can replicate this exercise sitting in a chair using resistance bands or a dumbbell. Ask an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist for advice about what types of resistance bands are best for you.

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

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.

If you don’t have access to a gym you can do this exercise by laying on your back and using resistance bands around your feet to create tension as you press your feet towards the ceiling.

This exercise is particularly good for your quadriceps and buttocks, and you can do it anywhere.

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.

You can also do this exercise without the ball. Simply slide down to a squat or seated position with your back against a wall and your knees tracking at a right angle over your ankles and hold the position for as long as you can, building up over time.

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 where you do some strengthening work before surgery. As well as keeping everything moving, this can also relieve knee pain before surgery.

While exercise can help to strengthen and work key muscles that weaken after surgery, every person’s injury, surgery and recovery is different. Safety has to come first so it’s essential that you seek professional guidance that’s unique to you and your recovery.

Speak to your surgeon and healthcare team about the type of exercise professional that might be safe for you. They will be able to recommend a rehabilitation centre, exercise physiologist or physiotherapist.

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.