Physiotherapy exercise library: 35 rehab exercises with Tamil names, doses and steps
Every exercise a physio prescribes for the knee, shoulder, back, neck, ankle and hip, with its English and Tamil name, a sensible starting dose, step-by-step instructions and a precaution. 35 exercises today, written by our team; a recorded video library is planned. Browse by body region below.
Videos stream inside WhatsApp · no app for patients · doses set by your physio
sent on WhatsApp in தமிழ் · 7:00 AM
Sample data: illustrative patient and readings.
Why native language, not subtitles
A 68-year-old after knee replacement will not read an English sheet. She will read a WhatsApp message that greets her in Tamil, names the exercise in Tamil and asks her to tap Done. Her own language removes the biggest reason patients in India skip their home plan. Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English are supported for the check-in message; Tamil and English for exercise names; full translated instructions and voice-over videos are planned.
How doses work
Sets × reps (3×15) or a hold time (3×30 s) are starting points for an adult in early rehab. Your physio changes them per visit; the plan on WhatsApp always shows your own dose.
For physiotherapists
All 35 exercises are in every Physio Clinic Software plan. Build condition templates, add your own exercises with a link to your own video, and send plans on WhatsApp with Done and pain-score tracking. See features → · Sample treatment-plan workflow →
Browse by body region
Six regions, the exercises your physio prescribes most
🦵 Knee · முழங்கால்
ACL, knee replacement, meniscus, patellofemoral pain, osteoarthritis
Lying · The first exercise after almost every knee surgery.
Lying · Builds quadriceps strength while the knee stays locked straight, so it is safe soon after ACL or knee-replacement surgery.
Lying · Restores knee bending after surgery or a long time in a brace.
Standing · A safe way to load the knee in standing once walking is comfortable.
Standing · Strengthens the muscles behind the thigh, which protect an ACL graft and balance the quadriceps.
Standing · Trains the last 20° of straightening, where most knees stay stiff after surgery and where the quadriceps are weakest.
💪 Shoulder · தோள்பட்டை
Frozen shoulder, rotator cuff, impingement, post-fracture, cricket shoulder
Standing · The classic first exercise for a painful or frozen shoulder.
Lying · A stick, umbrella or walking cane lets the good arm lift the stiff one overhead, so the painful shoulder gains range while staying relaxed.
Standing · Walking the fingers up a wall is an easy way to measure and improve forward and side reach at home.
Standing · Strengthens the rotator cuff, the small muscles that hold the ball in the socket.
Sitting · Retrains the muscles between the shoulder blades that round forward with desk work and after injury.
Standing · Restores the ability to reach behind the back, the last movement to return in frozen shoulder and the one needed for a bra strap, a shirt tuck or a back pocket.
🧘 Back · முதுகு
Low back pain, disc prolapse, sciatica, postpartum, spinal stenosis
Kneeling · A gentle, rhythmic way to move every segment of the spine through bending and arching without load.
Lying · Teaches control of the deep abdominal muscles and the lumbar curve.
Lying · Eases tightness in the lower back and buttock, and gives relief in flexion-friendly back pain such as spinal stenosis.
Lying · Strengthens the gluteals and the back extensors together, which takes load off the lumbar discs.
Kneeling · Trains the back and core to keep the spine still while the limbs move, which is exactly what lifting, walking and bending demand.
Lying · The McKenzie extension exercise for disc-related pain and sciatica, used when leg pain reduces or moves back towards the spine (centralises) as the spine extends.
🙆 Neck · கழுத்து
Mechanical neck pain, cervical spondylosis, tech neck, headaches
Sitting · Corrects the forward-head posture of phone and desk work by activating the deep neck flexors.
Sitting · Lengthens the upper trapezius and side neck muscles that tighten with stress and shoulder-hiking.
Sitting · Restores the turning range needed to check mirrors while driving and to look over the shoulder.
Sitting · Strengthens the neck in all four directions without moving it, so it is safe even when movement is painful.
Sitting · Loosens the shoulder girdle, which carries much of the tension in neck pain, and improves blood flow during long computer sessions.
🦶 Ankle · கணுக்கால்
Ankle sprain, after cast or fracture, Achilles, plantar fasciitis, balance
Lying · Pumping the foot up and down keeps the calf muscles working, pushes swelling out of a sprained or fractured ankle and reduces clot risk after surgery or bed rest.
Sitting · Moves the ankle through every direction by tracing letters with the big toe.
Sitting · Strengthens the small muscles of the foot arch, important for plantar fasciitis, flat feet and balance after ankle injury.
Standing · Builds calf strength for walking, stairs and running, and is the core exercise for Achilles tendinopathy.
Sitting · Strengthens the peroneal muscles on the outside of the lower leg, which stop the ankle rolling inwards.
Standing · Retrains the balance sense (proprioception) that an ankle sprain damages.
🏃 Hip · இடுப்பு
Hip replacement, gluteal weakness, bursitis, piriformis, older adults
Lying · Isolates the gluteus medius, the hip muscle that stops the knee collapsing inwards.
Lying · Strengthens the outer hip through a larger range than the clamshell.
Kneeling · Lengthens the hip flexors, which shorten with sitting all day and pull the pelvis forward, straining the lower back.
Standing · Works the gluteus maximus in standing, the position you actually use it in.
Sitting · The most functional hip and knee exercise there is: standing up from a chair without using the hands.
Lying · Eases the deep buttock muscle that can irritate the sciatic nerve and cause buttock and back-of-thigh pain, especially after long drives and sitting.
How a plan from this library reaches a patient
Physio builds the plan
Picks exercises, sets the dose, chooses the patient's language and the send time. Two minutes on a tablet.
WhatsApp, every morning
The plan arrives with each exercise, its dose, its Tamil name and a link to the steps. No app, no login.
Done + pain score
The patient taps Done and replies with a 0–10 pain score. Family can help.
Progress on the chart
Adherence ring and pain trend update on the patient drawer; the doctor gets a letter at week 6.
See Physio Clinic Software for clinics → For referring doctors →
A note on safety
These pages describe standard, low-risk rehabilitation exercises so that patients understand what has been prescribed and physiotherapists can see what Physio Clinic Software ships. They are not a substitute for an assessment. If you have a new injury, pain after a fall, numbness, weakness, fever or pain that wakes you at night, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting any programme. Read the guide on home-exercise adherence to see why language and a daily cue matter more than the choice of exercise, or see how the home exercise program app sends these plans on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
Are these exercises safe to do on my own?
They are standard, low-risk rehab exercises, but the right ones for you depend on your diagnosis and stage. Use this library to understand what your physiotherapist prescribes; do not start a programme for a new injury without an assessment.
Are there exercise videos, and in which languages?
Not yet from us. Today the library has 35 written exercises with English and Tamil names, doses and step-by-step instructions in English. Your physio can attach their own video link to any exercise. The daily WhatsApp message (greeting and the Done and pain-score line) goes out in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam or English. A recorded video library is planned; we will not publish a count until it exists.
How do I get these exercises on WhatsApp?
Ask your physiotherapist whether they use Physio Clinic Software. If they do, your daily plan arrives on WhatsApp with a link to each exercise (and your physio's video, if they added one), and you reply with Done and a 0–10 pain score. No app or login is needed.
How many sets and reps should I do?
The doses shown here (for example 3×15) are common starting points for an adult in early rehab. Your physio adjusts them to your pain, your stage after surgery and your goals, and the plan on WhatsApp always shows your own dose.
I am a physiotherapist. Can I use this library in my clinic?
Yes. All 35 exercises are loaded into every new Physio Clinic Software workspace, on every plan from ₹999 per therapist per month. You can add your own exercises with a link to your own video, build condition templates and send plans on WhatsApp with adherence tracking.
Send this library to your patients on WhatsApp
35 ready exercises, check-ins in six languages, plans built in two minutes, adherence back on your screen the next morning. 30-day free trial, no card.