Programme One

Stationary bike

Adjust the seat height so your knees are slightly bent while at the bottom of the cycle.

Knee extensions

REPS: 20

Lie down on your back with a foam roller behind your thigh, just above the knee. Push your thigh down into the roller and lift your heel up off the floor as high as you can without lifting the leg from the roller. Lower your leg to the starting position and repeat.

Seated straight leg raise

REPS: 20

Start seated on the floor with one leg out straight and the other leg bent and held by both hands.

Lift the straight leg up without using the trunk to crunch forward.

TKE with band

REPS: 20

Tie a band around the affected knee.

Stand with the affected leg under the body or slightly in front, and the other leg slightly behind for balance.

Slightly bend the knee, then use the quadriceps muscle to straighten the leg as much as possible.

Do not rock the hips front and back, use only the quadriceps to extend the knee.

Don’t let the knee go excessively in front of the toes on the way down.

Heels walking

Walk at a comfortable pace on your heels.

Marching on the spot

Stand up with your feet about hip width.

March on the spot, lifting your knees high.

Keep the body straight as you do the exercise.

Toe walk

Stand.

Walk on your toes and lift your heels as high as you can.

Hold on to a solid object if needed.

Hamstrings stretch, standing

Stand up straight in front of a stool.

Place one foot on the stool and straighten your knee.

Lean your body slowly forward over your leg while keeping your knee straight, until you feel a stretch across the back of your leg.

Return your body to its original position.

Heel slides with towel

Sit down against a wall and place a towel around the heel.

Gently pull the towel to flex the knee until a stretch is felt.

Horizontal leg press double leg

Place your feet on the platform at shoulder width.

Push with your legs to extend the knees squeezing them gently into extension

Come back by bend the legs under control.

Your heels should never come off the platform.

Clam Level 1

Start Position:

Lie on your side with your shoulders and hips stacked. Underneath arm outstretched in alignment with the trunk. Ensure your back is in neutral and your centre is engaged. Hips bent to approx.45 degrees and knees bent to 90 degrees.

Action:

INHALE to prepare.

EXHALE, lift the top knee upwards keeping the feet together.

INHALE, lower the top knee onto the bottom leg.

Glute bridge

Lie on your back with your knees bent.

Contract your buttocks to lift your hips off the ground until your trunk is aligned with your legs.

Slowly return to the initial position and repeat.

Calves strengthening

Stand with both legs on a stair or small step next to a chair or table to hold on to.

Come onto the balls of the feet without bending the knee.

Slowly drop back down by lowering the heel as far down as possible and repeat.

Make sure to work through all the range of motion.

Keep the feet neutral.

PROGRAMME TWO

Stationary bike

SETS: 30 minutes

Adjust the seat height so your knees are slightly bent while at the bottom of the cycle.

Box squat

Adjust the height of the rack to a level that the bar can be removed and replaced without going up on tiptoe.

Place the bar on the upper portion of the back (Upper trapezius muscle).

Hold the bar comfortably slightly wider than shoulder-width.

Feet are shoulder-width apart.

Lower yourself by pushing the hips back and flexing the knees to sit on a box or bench that is about knee high without actually putting all the weight on the bench in a relaxed manner.

Keep the chest up and back neutral for the duration of the movement.

Keep the heels planted on the ground and knees aligned with the ankles.

In the upward phase, do not allow the hips to rise faster than the bar.

Deadlift

STARTING POSITION:

Place your shins approximately 1 inch (3 cm) behind the bar and your feet hip to shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward.

Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, grabbing the bar with an overhand or mixed grip. Keep your back flat with your chest up and out. Keep your head in line with your spine,your heels down, and shoulders over the bar.

MOVEMENT:

Extend your hips and knees to lift the bar off the floor.

Keep your torso-to-floor angle constant (until the bar meets your knees) and shoulders over bar.

Do not let your hips rise before your shoulders.

As the bar rises just above your knees, push your hips forward to move your knees under the bar.

Continue to extend your hips and knees until your body reaches a fully erect torso position.

Barbell Romanian deadlift

STARTING POSITION:

In standing, with your feet hip to shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward.

Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, holding the bar with overhand or mixed grip. Keep your back flat with your chest up and out. Keep your head in line with your spine, your heels down, and shoulders over the bar.

MOVEMENT:

With the knees slightly bent, lean forward at hips level, pushing back the hips, with the back straight, the chest up and out, and the bar remaining as close to you as possible.

Make sure to keep a neutral neck position.

Go as low as you can without rounding the lower back.

For the upward phase, extend your hips by pushing them forward to also move the knee forward.

Continue to extend your hips and knees until your body reaches a fully erect torso position.

KB 1 arm 1 leg RDL

Grab a kettlebell with the opposite arm.

On one leg, bend forward at the hip by pushing the hips back. Keep the spine and neck neutral and hips leveled and think about driving the free leg’s heel toward the ceiling.

Always keep a slightly flexed knee in the supporting leg.

The depth of the movement will depend of individual flexibility.

To go back up, squeeze the glutes hard and pull yourself with the posterior leg.

Keep the shoulder tight and do not rotate the upperbody.

Step-up (high step)

Stand in front of a step that is knee high.

Put a foot on the step and lift yourself up using only this leg.

Keep the knee aligned, torso straight and do not push with the free leg between reps.

BW walking lunge

Stand up and take a big step forward then flex your knees to have roughly a 90° angle at the front knee and hip.

Keep your front heel on the ground during the step.

Continue the step forward to stand up again and repeat with your other leg.

Alternate this way as if you were walking.

Single Leg Squat (1/4 squat)

Stand on one leg next to a support for balance.

Bend the knee to go down to about 1/4 of the way.

Keep your knee aligned with your foot and hip stable with the torso vertical.