16 December 2025
Essential Home Exercises After Knee Surgery
Recovery continues at home. Master these simple but effective home exercises—Ankle Pumps, Quadriceps Sets, and Heel Slides—to speed up your knee rehab.

You see your physiotherapist for an hour a day. The other 23 hours are up to you.
Doing your "homework" is what separates a good recovery from a great one.
Here are the Top 3 Exercises to do in bed.
1. Ankle Pumps (The Clot Buster)
- What: Move your foot up and down like pressing a gas pedal.
- Why: It pumps blood back to the heart, preventing DVT (clots) and reducing swelling.
- Frequency: 10 times every hour while awake.
2. Quadriceps Sets (The Knee Locker)
- What: Tighten your thigh muscle. Try to push the back of your knee flat into the bed. Hold for 5 seconds. Relax.
- Why: Wakes up the muscle responsible for standing and walking.
- Frequency: 10 reps, 3 times a day.
3. Heel Slides (The Bender)
- What: Lie flat. Slide your heel towards your bum, bending the knee as far as comfortable. Hold. Slide back down.
- Why: Restores Range of Motion (flexion).
- Frequency: 10 reps, 3 times a day.
Takeaway
Consistency beats intensity. Gentle, frequent movement is better than one painful session.

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