What Are the Best Exercises to Strengthen Your Knee After a Knee Replacement?
Recovering from a total knee replacement can be challenging. While the surgery may have fixed the joint, many individuals find their muscles still weak. It’s crucial to activate and strengthen these muscles to ensure a successful recovery. In this post, I’ll explain the top 5 exercises that can help you strengthen your knee after a knee replacement.
First though, we need to discuss swelling.
Controlling Swelling
Before starting any exercise, it’s essential to manage swelling. Post-surgery swelling can inhibit muscle activation, as your brain may think that your knee as still injured. Focus on controlling the swelling through methods like cold therapy and elevation.
5 Exercises to Strengthen Your Knee After Knee Replacement
1. Quadriceps Activation
The first exercise to master is the Quad Set. This exercise helps to re-establish the connection between your brain and your quadriceps muscles:
- Start by lying down with your leg straight.
- Contract your thigh muscles, ensuring to see the kneecap move closer to you.
- Press the back of your knee down into the surface.
- Hold the contraction for 10 seconds, focusing on pulling your toes up.
Once you can perform a strong quad set, you can progress to straight leg raises.
1b. Straight Leg Raise
To be clear, I don’t actually think straight leg raises are great strengthening exercises for most people who have had a total knee replacement. However, they are often prescribed. Here’s how to do a straight leg raise:
- Lie down and tighten your quadriceps.
- Raise your leg without bending your knee.
- Hold the position before lowering back down.
The real value of the straight leg raise exercises is more of a test. If you can do a straight leg raise, that means that you can contract your quadriceps effectively. That means you’re ready to move on to the other exercises below.
2. Mini Squats
Next, we’ll introduce mini squats. This functional movement helps in everyday activities:
- Stand in front of a chair.
- Push your hips back towards the chair while keeping your weight on your heels.
- Return to standing by engaging your quadriceps and glutes.
Start with shallow squats and gradually increase your depth as your strength improves. Aim for three sets of ten repetitions.
3. Single Leg Balance
This exercise is crucial for improving stability and preventing falls:
- Stand on one leg, using a wall or chair for support if necessary.
- Try to maintain your balance for 10 seconds.
Repeat this for ten repetitions on each leg.
4. Step Ups
The step-up exercise is excellent for enhancing knee stability:
- Place your surgical leg on a low step or sturdy book.
- Push down through your heel as you straighten your knee and lift your body up.
- Lower back down and repeat for three sets of ten repetitions.
Focus on controlling your knee alignment throughout the movement.
5. Partial Lunges
Lastly, partial lunges can be beneficial for strengthening the muscles around your knee:
- Step forward with one leg, bending the knee slightly.
- Ensure 80-90% of your weight is on the front leg.
- Return to the starting position and switch legs.
Perform three sets of ten repetitions on each leg.
Conclusion
These are 5 of the best exercises to strengthen your knee after a knee replacement. Including them in your rehabilitation routine can significantly improve your knee strength and function. Remember to progress gradually and listen to your body along with getting advice from your physical therapist.
Recovering from a total knee replacement is a process that takes several months. However, if you put in the effort and have patience, you can strength and quality of life… which is probably the reason you had the surgery in the first place.
Good luck!