With proper exercise and rehabilitation, most people recover well from a knee injury and get back to their active lifestyle. Here are five of the best exercises commonly used in knee rehabilitation programs — though the right exercises for you depend on your specific injury and stage of recovery.
Before you start
These exercises are a general guide, and it's important to have your specific knee injury properly assessed before starting any exercise program — the right exercise at the wrong stage of healing can slow recovery rather than help it.
1. Straight leg raises
A foundational exercise for building quad strength without stressing a healing knee joint, since the knee stays straight throughout the movement. Lying or sitting, tighten the thigh muscle and lift the leg with the knee straight, then lower slowly.
2. Quad sets (isometric quad contractions)
An excellent starting point for very early rehabilitation, quad sets involve simply tightening the thigh muscle without moving the joint — useful when movement itself is still painful or restricted.
3. Heel slides
Gently improving knee range of motion, heel slides involve lying down and sliding the heel toward the buttocks, bending the knee as far as comfortable, then straightening again.
4. Mini squats
Once early healing has progressed, controlled mini squats help rebuild functional strength through a knee-friendly range of motion, working the muscles that support and stabilise the joint.
5. Step-ups
A more advanced exercise that builds strength and control in a way that mimics real-world movement — stepping up onto a low step, focusing on control rather than speed.
Progressing your program
These exercises typically progress in a specific order depending on your injury and healing stage — starting a program too aggressively, or in the wrong order, can set back recovery. A physiotherapist tailors the right exercises, loads and progression to your specific knee injury.
If you've experienced a knee injury, book an assessment with our team to get a tailored, properly sequenced rehabilitation program.
Written by Aaron Babb, MAppSc Physiotherapy — Founder & Director, Aevum Health & Physiotherapy.