Knee Conditioning Program - Omaha

Purpose of Program
After an injury or surgery, an exercise conditioning program will help you return to daily activities and enjoy a more
active, healthy lifestyle. Following a well-structured conditioning program will also help you return to sports and other
recreational activities.
This is a general conditioning program that provides a wide range of exercises. To ensure that the program is safe
and effective for you, it should be performed under your doctor's supervision. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist
about which exercises will best help you meet your rehabilitation goals.
Strength: Strengthening the muscles that support your knee will reduce stress on your knee joint. Strong muscles help
your knee joint absorb shock.
Flexibility: Stretching the muscles that you strengthen is important for restoring range of motion and preventing injury.
Gently stretching after strengthening exercises can help reduce muscle soreness and keep your muscles long and
!
exible.
Target Muscles: The muscle groups targeted in this conditioning program include:
r Quadriceps (front of the thigh)
r Hamstrings (back of the thigh)
r Abductors (outer thigh)
r Adductors (inner thigh)
r Gluteus medius and gluteus maximus (buttocks)
Length of program: This knee conditioning program should be continued for 4 to 6 weeks, unless otherwise speci"ed
by your doctor or physical therapist. After your recovery, these exercises can be continued as a maintenance program
for lifelong protection and health of your knees. Performing the exercises two to three days a week will maintain
strength and range of motion in your knees.
Getting Started _____________________________________________________________________
Warmup: Before doing the following exercises, warm up with 5 to 10 minutes of low impact activity,
like walking or riding a stationary bicycle.
Stretch: After the warm-up, do the stretching exercises shown on Page 1 before moving on to the strengthening
exercises. When you have completed the strengthening exercises, repeat the stretching exercises to end the program.
Do not ignore pain: You should not feel pain during an exercise. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist if you have
any pain while exercising.
Ask questions: If you are not sure how to do an exercise, or how often to do it, contact your doctor or
physical therapist.
AAOS does not endorse any treatments, procedures, products, or physicians referenced herein. This information is provided as an educational service and is
not intended to serve as medical advice. Anyone seeking speci