தமிழ்हिन्दीతెలుగుಕನ್ನಡമലയാളംEnglish

🦵 Knee · முழங்கால்

Knee exercises: 6 home rehab exercises with Tamil names, doses and steps

The knee is the most-treated joint in Indian physio clinics: ACL reconstructions in cricketers and bikers, total knee replacements in people over sixty, and osteoarthritis in nearly everyone past fifty. The early exercises are the same across all of them. They wake up the quadriceps, restore straightening and bending, and load the joint gently in standing. These six are the base of most knee programmes; your physio sets the dose and progresses you phase by phase.

In short: The best knee exercises for home rehab are quad sets, straight-leg raises, heel slides, wall squats to 30°, standing hamstring curls and band terminal knee extensions. They suit ACL reconstruction, knee replacement and osteoarthritis. Start with 2–3 sets of 10–15, keep exercise pain below 4 out of 10, and let your physiotherapist progress the dose.

Used for

  • ACL reconstruction (weeks 1–12)
  • Total knee replacement
  • Meniscus repair or tear
  • Patellofemoral (anterior knee) pain
  • Knee osteoarthritis
  • Post-fracture stiffness

The 6 exercises on this page

  1. Quad sets · குவாட் செட்ஸ் · 3×15
  2. Straight-leg raise · நேராக கால் தூக்குதல் · 3×10
  3. Heel slides · குதிகால் சறுக்கல் · 2×10
  4. Wall squat to 30° · சுவர் ஸ்குவாட் · 3×8
  5. Standing hamstring curl · நின்றபடி முழங்கால் மடக்குதல் · 3×10
  6. Terminal knee extension with band · பேண்ட் முழங்கால் நீட்டல் · 3×12

How to perform each exercise

Dose shown is a common starting point; your physiotherapist sets yours. Inside Physio Clinic Software these exercises go to patients on WhatsApp with a daily check-in in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, English. Recorded videos are planned; clinics can link their own video to any exercise today.

Exercise 1 · Lying

Quad sets · குவாட் செட்ஸ்

3×156 languages

The first exercise after almost every knee surgery. Tightening the thigh muscle without moving the joint wakes up the quadriceps, which switch off after injury or surgery, and helps push swelling out of the knee.

How to perform it

  1. Lie on your back with the leg straight and a small rolled towel under the knee.
  2. Press the back of the knee down into the towel and tighten the front of the thigh.
  3. Watch the kneecap pull upward slightly; hold for 5 seconds.
  4. Relax fully for 3 seconds, then repeat.
Take care

Keep the hold gentle in the first three days after surgery; stop if the wound pulls.

Exercise 2 · Lying

Straight-leg raise · நேராக கால் தூக்குதல்

3×106 languages

Builds quadriceps strength while the knee stays locked straight, so it is safe soon after ACL or knee-replacement surgery. The lift comes from the hip, with the knee fully straight the whole time.

How to perform it

  1. Lie on your back with the other knee bent and that foot flat.
  2. Tighten the thigh of the straight leg first (a quad set).
  3. Lift the heel 20–30 cm off the bed, knee locked, toes pointing to the ceiling.
  4. Hold 3 seconds, lower slowly, and relax before the next one.
Take care

If the knee sags or bends during the lift, go back to quad sets for a few days.

Exercise 3 · Lying

Heel slides · குதிகால் சறுக்கல்

2×106 languages

Restores knee bending after surgery or a long time in a brace. Your own heel sliding on the bed gives a controlled stretch that you can stop at any moment.

How to perform it

  1. Lie on your back, legs straight, with a smooth sheet or a plastic bag under the heel.
  2. Slide the heel towards your buttock, letting the knee bend.
  3. Stop at a firm stretch, not pain; hold 5 seconds.
  4. Slide back to straight. Loop a towel round the foot for help if needed.
Take care

Note how far the heel travels each week; your physio sets the target angle.

Exercise 4 · Standing

Wall squat to 30° · சுவர் ஸ்குவாட்

3×86 languages

A safe way to load the knee in standing once walking is comfortable. The wall takes your balance so you can focus on a slow, even bend to a shallow angle without the knees drifting inward.

How to perform it

  1. Stand with your back flat against a wall, feet hip-width apart and 30 cm from the wall.
  2. Slide down until the knees bend about 30°, as if sitting on a high stool.
  3. Keep the knees over the feet, not past the toes; hold 5 seconds.
  4. Push through the heels to slide back up.
Take care

Deeper squats come later; your physio progresses the angle to 60° and 90°.

Exercise 5 · Standing

Standing hamstring curl · நின்றபடி முழங்கால் மடக்குதல்

3×106 languages

Strengthens the muscles behind the thigh, which protect an ACL graft and balance the quadriceps. Done standing while holding a chair, so it suits home and office breaks.

How to perform it

  1. Stand tall holding a chair or wall.
  2. Bend one knee, bringing the heel towards the buttock while the thigh stays still.
  3. Hold 2 seconds at the top.
  4. Lower slowly to the floor.
Take care

Add an ankle weight or band only when told to; keep the hips level.

Exercise 6 · Standing

Terminal knee extension with band · பேண்ட் முழங்கால் நீட்டல்

3×126 languages

Trains the last 20° of straightening, where most knees stay stiff after surgery and where the quadriceps are weakest. A loop band behind the knee gives resistance exactly in that range.

How to perform it

  1. Loop a resistance band round a door handle and behind the knee; step back until it is taut.
  2. Start with the knee slightly bent.
  3. Straighten the knee fully against the band, squeezing the thigh.
  4. Hold 2 seconds, then let it bend slowly.
Take care

Use a light band first; the movement is small and should never jerk.

How to progress knee exercises, phase by phase

A knee programme is not one fixed list. The same 6 exercises are introduced in stages, and the dose rises only when the current stage is easy and pain settles within 24 hours. This is the usual order a physiotherapist follows:

PhaseGoalTypical exercises
Weeks 0–2 · protectWake up the quadriceps, get the knee fully straight, control swellingQuad sets, straight-leg raise, heel slides and ankle pumps, 3–4 short sessions a day
Weeks 2–6 · restoreBend past 90°, walk without a limp, load the knee in standingWall squat to 30°, standing hamstring curl, terminal knee extension with band
Weeks 6–12 · strengthenStairs, deeper squats, single-leg control, return to workWall squat to 60–90°, step-ups, single-leg balance, static bike, once a day with full sets

Timelines are typical after knee replacement and ACL reconstruction; your surgeon's protocol overrides them. Knee osteoarthritis programmes usually start in the second phase and progress by symptoms.

How often, and how hard?

As a rule of thumb, mobility and range-of-motion exercises are done little and often (2–4 short sessions a day), while strengthening is done once a day or on alternate days with full sets. Mild discomfort up to 3–4 out of 10 that settles by the next morning is acceptable; sharper pain, new swelling or pain that spreads means drop back a phase and tell your physiotherapist.

What this looks like on the patient's WhatsApp

With Physio Clinic Software, the physio picks these exercises, sets the dose and the language once. Each morning the patient gets the plan with a link to the steps (and the clinic's own video, if added); they tap Done and reply with a pain score. The therapist sees adherence and pain trend on the chart, and the referring doctor gets a one-page progress letter at week 6.

  • No app to install; works on any phone with WhatsApp
  • English and Tamil exercise names; greeting and check-in line in the patient's language
  • Printable A4 sheet with a QR code for patients who prefer paper
  • Daily pain score shown beside adherence on the chart (automatic high-pain alerts are planned)
Try free for 30 daysPhysio Clinic Software for clinics

Sample data: illustrative WhatsApp conversation.

Knee exercise questions

When can I start exercises after knee replacement?

Usually on day 1 in hospital, with quad sets, ankle pumps and heel slides. Your surgeon's protocol decides; most TKR patients walk with a frame the same day and do a short home plan 3–4 times a day for the first six weeks.

How many times a day should I do knee exercises?

Early after surgery, short sessions 3–4 times a day work better than one long session. Later, once a day with full sets is typical. Your physio sets the dose; a Physio Clinic Software plan arrives on WhatsApp at the times you choose.

Is swelling after the exercises normal?

Mild warmth and swelling that settles within two hours is normal in the first weeks. Swelling that lasts overnight, a hot red knee or calf pain needs a call to your physio or surgeon the same day.

Can I do these for knee osteoarthritis without surgery?

Yes. Quad sets, straight-leg raises and wall squats are the base of most osteoarthritis programmes. Start with lower reps and build up; stop if pain rises by more than 2 points on a 0–10 scale and tell your physio.

Which exercises should I avoid after ACL reconstruction?

In the first 6–12 weeks: open-chain knee extension machines, deep squats past 90°, pivoting sports and running. Your surgeon's protocol lists the milestones; your physio updates the plan phase by phase.

Other body regions

💪 Shoulder · தோள்பட்டை

Frozen shoulder, rotator cuff, impingement, post-fracture, cricket shoulder

🧘 Back · முதுகு

Low back pain, disc prolapse, sciatica, postpartum, spinal stenosis

🙆 Neck · கழுத்து

Mechanical neck pain, cervical spondylosis, tech neck, headaches

🦶 Ankle · கணுக்கால்

Ankle sprain, after cast or fracture, Achilles, plantar fasciitis, balance

🏃 Hip · இடுப்பு

Hip replacement, gluteal weakness, bursitis, piriformis, older adults

← Back to the full exercise library · Why patients stop doing home exercises, and what fixes it · Home exercise program app for physiotherapists

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