Unconditioned, imbalanced muscles of the lower body area can cause knee, hip and back injuries.

The exercises described below are to help you strengthen the muscles that surround and support the knee. These exercises should not cause you pain. If the exercise hurts, stop exercising. Start again with a lighter resistance.

RESISTANCE

The exercises described below are designed to improve endurance of knee stabilization and mobility, with strength gains being secondary. Therefore the emphasis is on controlled movement with low resistance and high repetitions. You should strive for perfect execution throughout your routine to help restore the proper movement patterns and reduce the symptoms in your knee, hip, and/or back.

FREQUENCY

Perform all the exercises 5 days per week, 1-2 times per day. Begin by performing 15 repetitions of each exercise for the first 3 days and then progressing to 2 sets of 15 repetitions. After 10 days progress yourself to performing 3 sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.

1. Sit in a chair with feet flat on the floor.
2. Extend your right knee and move your foot in a circle 20 times.
3. Then move in the other direction 20 times.
4. Repeat with the other ankle.

• If lifting the knee up is too hard, just extend your knee out.
• Ankles often make a cracking sound, noise is ok, if the ankle is hurting, try just moving it up and down at first.

1. Sit in a chair with feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift up your right knee as high as comfortable.
3. Lower your leg.
4. Alternate lifting your knees for a total of 10 lifts with each leg.

• Continue regular breathing throughout the exercise.
• Move at a slow and moderate speed.

1. Sit in a chair with feet flat on the floor.
2. Straighten out your right knee and hold for a few seconds and return to the starting posistion.
3. Then straighten out your left knee and hold for a few seconds.
4. Repeat 10 times on each leg.

• Move slowly without jerking your leg.
• Bring your toes back toward your body to engage the quadriceps more.
• Make sure you use a full range of motion.

1. Stand using a chair to balance yourself.
2. Raise up on your toes as high as you comfortably can.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times.

• Keep your body still as you raise yourself up.
• Keep your feet farther apart if you have balance problems.

1. Stand using a chair to balance yourself.
2. Bend your right knee backward as far as you can.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times.
4. Continue with left leg.

• Do not bend at the hips.
• Try to stand as strait as you can.
• If you get a cramp in the hamstring, relax your leg and massage the muscle until discomfort is gone.

1. Stand using a chair to balance yourself.
2. Lift your right leg to the side as high as comfortable.
3. Return to the starting position, then repeat 10 times.
4. Continue with left leg.

• Do not bend the hips.
• Stand as straight as possible.

1. Stand, using a chair to balance yourself.
2. Extend your leg backward, keeping knees straight.
3. Return to starting position and repeat 10 times with each leg.

• Keep your body erect and ribs lifted during the movement.
• Try to keep you knees straight.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles and keep breathing.