HOW: Begin in a seated position with a strap or a towel wrapped around the middle of your foot. Pull your foot in towards your butt. You may need to choke up on the strap to get leverage with your arms. When you get to the end of your motion, you have the option of holding or moving back and forth. You also have the option of laying on your back when performing this exercise.

 

FEEL: The closer your heel gets towards your butt the more stretch you will feel in your knee.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid pulling in with your leg, keep the leg relaxed. The motion should be coming from your arms pulling your leg in.

HOW: Lie on your back close to a wall. Place your affected leg on the wall. Make sure your heel can slide on the wall, so wear a sock or place a pillow cloth or something else slippery around your foot so that it can slide. Slowly let gravity slide your leg down. As your leg slides down, your knee will bend more, which is the goal of this exercise. Bend as far as you can, hold that stretch for a few seconds, then return back to the starting position. Repeat.

 

FEEL: You should feel a slightly uncomfortable stretch at the end of your range. This is common and the goal of this exercise is to feel that little bit of discomfort so don’t be alarmed.

 

COMPENSATION: Let gravity bring your foot down as it slides against the wall, don’t try to move it yourself. Go slow!

HOW: Get into a comfortable position on a chair or bed with your foot elevated and supported on a surface so that your leg is straight and parallel to the ground. Let gravity pull your knee into extension and/or use your hands as needed to help move your knee into extension. Hold until your knee begins to feel a little uncomfortable – not painful. Then relax your leg. Repeat as needed or prescribed.

 

FEEL: This should feel like a stretch behind your knee, maybe even your calf and hamstring. It can be normal sometimes to feel discomfort in the front of the knee, try to readjust your position if it is not tolerable discomfort. See video for other tips.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not let your foot rotate out to the side. Make sure to only prop your foot on the chair so there is an empty space under your knee.

HOW: While laying on your back, straighten your leg out and place your heel on an elevated surface with your toe pointed up. Typically lying back on your coach with your foot on the arm rest will suffice. Relax your leg muscles and let gravity push your leg down stretching the back of your knee. Hold for a prescribed amount of time.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in the back of your leg.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your knee relaxed and straight. Don’t let your knee hit the ground while the weight is being applied. Keep your toe pointed up so your hip doesn’t rotate up.

HOW: Start by lying on your back with both legs up on a wall or doorway. Move your hips as close to the wall as possible. Let one leg down as you keep the other leg straight up on the wall, relaxed. Move that leg up and down for the prescribed amount of reps. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your hamstrings muscles stretching.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep the leg on the wall relaxed, don’t move the foot.

HOW: Follow this foolproof guide to wake your quad back up! Laying on the ground or on a table with your knee straight and foot supported, attempt to push your knee down and lift your heel off the ground by squeezing your quadriceps muscle until your knee is fully straight. return to starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL: Really focus on squeezing your quad. Sometimes touching the muscle, massaging it, or hitting it can help. Think about moving your kneecap up and towards your hip socket. Push your knee down into the ground. Move your shin bone in the shape of a “J” by moving your knee down and your heel up at the same time. Squeeze both quadriceps at the same time to improve the quality of the quad contraction.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not lift your entire leg off the ground, focus on getting your knee fully straight similar to the other side.