After a hip or knee replacement surgery, your muscles that support the joint are weak and need strengthening to allow you to return to regular activities. A chair helps in two ways. One, you can sit on it to take most of your body weight so as not to overstress the joint when exercising. Two, a chair can be a balance tool so you can stand and exercise without risking a fall.
Sitting Supported Knee Bends
The sitting supported knee bend provides a gentle rehabilitation exercise for a knee replacement. This exercise and similar knee exercises in a chair strengthen the muscles that support the knee so that they can absorb the shock of weight on the joint and protect it. This exercise also helps stretch the muscles to bend the knee through its full range of motion. To perform a sitting supported knee bend, sit with your thigh supported in a chair and your bad leg partially straightened in a comfortable position. Cross your good ankle behind your bad leg to support the replaced knee. Both feet are in the air a few inches from the floor. Bend your knee as far as you can toward your body and hold for five to 10 seconds. Repeat until your leg becomes tired.
Sitting Unsupported Knee Bends
The sitting unsupported knee bend is similar to the supported knee bends except that your good leg does not offer support to the affected leg, causing the muscles of the weak leg to work harder to bend the knee. Sit back in a chair so your thigh rests on the seat to begin the exercise. Place the foot of your good leg on the floor and extend the bad leg, partially straightened, forward with the foot a few inches from the floor, as in the above exercise. Fully bend your operated on knee as far as you can toward you and touch your foot on the floor. Lean your upper body forward to increase the stretch in the knee. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Finish the exercise by straightening your knee fully into the air in front of you. Repeat until your leg is tired.
Standing Knee Raises
Standing knee raises are a chair exercise for a hip replacement. The knee bends as you flex your hip forward to strengthen the knee and stretch the joint. The chair acts as a balance aid. To perform standing knee raises, hold onto the back of a chair with both hands. Stand far enough away from the back of the chair with your arms nearly straight to make room for your knee to lift. Raise your affected leg until your knee is at or below waist height. Hold for two to three seconds and then place your foot back on the ground. Perform up to 10 repetitions.
Standing Hip Abduction
The standing hip abduction exercise strengthens the outside of the hip. The chair also works as a balance tool for this exercise. Stand holding the back of a chair with your feet and knees pointing forward. Then, raise your operated on leg sideways toward the ceiling. Do not allow your hip to rotate outwards. Lower the foot to the floor. Work up to 10 reps.
Standing Hip Extensions
Hip extensions strengthen the back of hip while the chair gives you something sturdy to hold on to so you do not fall. The chair also helps you maintain good form. Leaning forward is not correct for this exercise. With the chair in front of you, it is easy to catch yourself if you start to lean. To perform standing hip extension, hold the back of a chair and extend your operated on leg backwards away from the chair. Hold for two to three seconds and then lower your leg. Do 10 reps.
Member Comments