Our knowledge of orthopaedics. Your best health.

Ankle Pumps

• Lie on your back.
• Move your ankles up and down.
• Repeat 10 times.

Ankle pumps

Heel Slides

• Lie on your back with both knees bent to stabilize your lower back.
• Slowly straighten, then bend one knee, keeping your heel on the floor. 
• Exhale and contract your abdominal muscles as you slide your heel.
• Repeat 10 times.

Heel slides

Abdominal Contraction

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands resting below your ribs.
• Exhale and tighten your abdominal muscles to squeeze your ribs down toward your back.
• Be sure not to hold your breath.
• Hold 5 seconds, then relax.
• Repeat 10 times.

Abdominal contraction

Countertop Squats (please check with your surgeon before attempting)

• Stand facing a countertop and place your hands on the countertop.
• Keep your abdominal muscles tight while slowly bending both knees and hips to 45 degrees.
• Slowly return to an upright position.
• Repeat 10 times.

Countertop squats

Heel Raises (please check with your surgeon before attempting)

• Stand with your weight evenly distributed on both feet.
• Hold onto a countertop or the back of a sturdy chair for stability.
• Slowly raise your heels off the floor, keeping your knees straight.
• Slowly lower your heels to the floor.
• Repeat 10 times.

Heel raises

Bent Leg Raises

• Lie on your back with both knees bent.
• Raise one leg up with your hip and knee bent to 90 degrees. Your shin should be parallel to the floor.
• Stabilize your lower back by engaging your abdominal muscles and slowly lower your leg back down, with your hip and knee bent.
• Repeat 10 times.

Bent leg raises

Single Knee to Chest Stretch

• Lie on your back with both knees bent.
• Hold your thigh behind the knee and bring the knee up toward your chest. Keep the back of your pelvis and your buttocks against the floor.
• Hold 20 seconds, then relax.
• Repeat 5 times on each side.

Single knee to chest stretch

Seated Hamstring Stretch

• Sit upright in a supportive chair with your hips all the way back in the chair and both feet flat on the floor.
• Extend one leg forward and slowly straighten your knee until you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh.
• Hold 15 seconds, then relax.
• Repeat 5 times on each side.

Seated hamstring stretch

Hip Flexor Stretch

• Lie on your back near edge of a bed. Hold your knees to your chest, placing your hands on the backs of your thighs, near the knees.
• Remove your hand from the back of one leg and slowly lower that leg down, keeping your knee bent, until you feel a stretch across top of the hip/thigh. Continue holding the leg you are not stretching throughout the exercise (for example, while you are stretching your right leg, hold your left leg).
• Hold 20 seconds, then relax.
• Repeat 5 times on each side.

Hip flexor stretch

Diagonal Hip Stretch

• Lie on your back with both knees bent.
• Place one ankle on top of the opposite knee (for example, place the right ankle on top of the left knee).
• Place the opposite hand over top of the elevated knee. Pull that knee toward your opposite shoulder until you feel a stretch in the buttock/hip area. Keep your lower back and the back of your pelvis on the floor.
• Hold 20 seconds, then relax.
• Repeat 5 times on each side.

Diagonal hip stretch

Lumbar Stabilization Exercises with Swiss Ball

Abdominal muscles must remain contracted during these exercises (see "Abdominal Contraction" above). Perform each exercise for 60 seconds. The farther the ball is from your body, the harder the exercise.

Lying on Floor

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your calves resting on the ball.
• Exhale and draw your abdominal muscles toward your spine during each exercise to keep your lower back stable in the neutral position.
• Slowly raise your arm over your head and lower the arm, alternating right and left sides.
• Slowly straighten one knee and relax, alternating right and left sides.
• Slowly straighten one knee and raise the opposite arm over your head. Alternate opposite arms and legs.
• Slowly "walk" the ball forward and backward with your legs.

Lumbar stabilization exercise with Swiss ball, lying on floor

Sitting on Ball

• Place a Swiss ball in a corner for safety.
• Sit on the ball with your hips and knees bent 90 degrees and your feet resting on floor.
• Exhale and draw your abdominal muscles toward your spine during each exercise to keep your lower back stable in the neutral position.
• Slowly raise one arm over your head and then lower that arm, alternating right and left sides.
• Slowly raise and lower your heel, alternating right and left sides.
• Slowly raise one heel and raise the opposite arm over your head. Alternate opposite arm and heel.
• Marching: Slowly raise one foot 2 inches from floor, alternating right and left sides.

Lumbar stabilization exercise with Swiss ball, sitting on ball

Standing

• Stand with the ball between your lower back and the wall.
• Exhale and draw your abdominal muscles toward your spine with each repetition to keep your lower back stable in the neutral position.
• Slowly bend your hips and knees to an angle between 45 and 90 degrees. Hold 5 seconds. Straighten your hips and knees.
• Slowly bend your hips and knees to an angle between 45 and 90 degrees while raising both arms over your head.

Lumbar stabilization exercise with Swiss ball, standing

• Lie on your stomach over the ball.
• Exhale and draw your abdominal muscles toward your spine with each repetition to keep your lower back stable in the neutral position.
• "Walk" your hands out in front of the ball until the ball is under your thighs just above your knees. Walk your hands in reverse (back toward the ball) to the starting position.
• "Walk" your hands out in front of the ball and slowly perform push-ups.

Lumbar stabilization exercise with Swiss ball, lying on ball