For Patients

Patient Exercises for Strength and Stability

Patients often ask about the best strengthening exercises for their legs. I made these videos with my good friends to show some examples of safe, effective movements that build strength and improve balance.

This series includes exercises that target the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core to support healthy movement and joint stability.

Watching these demonstrations can help you see the right form and learn how to modify each exercise to fit your ability level.

Transcript

This exercise is a lunge, but by doing a row at the same time, you get a lot of core, which is really helpful and helps support essentially every other exercise you do. For a lot of patients who have knee pain, it's helpful to not move through the lunge. Exercise such as walking lunges can really load the front of the knee, but the static lunge tends to be far better tolerated.

Static Lunge With Row: Core and Knee-Friendly Strength

This exercise is a lunge, but by adding a row at the same time, you get a lot of core engagement, which is helpful and supports almost every other exercise you do. For many patients with knee pain, it’s easier to tolerate a static lunge rather than moving through space. Walking lunges can really load the front of the knee, but the static lunge is often much better tolerated while still building strength and stability.

In this video, you’ll see how to combine the lunge position with a controlled row to work the legs, glutes, and core together. Focus on staying tall through your torso, keeping your front knee comfortable, and using a weight that allows you to move with good form.

Squats With Bands: Knee-Friendly Strength and Stability

This is an awesome exercise, and what makes it so helpful is the TheraBand positioned around the back of the knees. The band encourages you to lean back and keeps your weight toward your heels, which reduces stress on your kneecaps while you squat.

A second feature that makes this exercise special is the added chest press, which turns it into a full-body movement that challenges both your legs and upper body. You want to make sure the weight isn’t so heavy that it pulls you forward or forces you out of good form. This variation can also be done with TRX bands, which changes the feel slightly but still helps keep your weight back and off the front of your knees.

Transcript

This is an awesome exercise and what makes it so great is the thera band around the back of her knees. Uh, essentially what this means is you have to lean back and it keeps your weight back which reduces the amount of stress on your kneecaps. The second part of this exercise that makes it special is the chest press. You want to make sure the weight's not so heavy that you have to lean forward. This exercise can also be done with TRX bands. Uh, it changes it a little bit, but it also keeps your weight back.

Transcript

Patients ask a lot of questions about what specifically to do at the gym. This exercise here, the single leg leg press, is one of my favorites. And you can do both legs at the same time if you're absolutely sure that your leg strength is the same. Here you can see that uh she's continuing uh to do this until exhaustion. So there's no magic number. It's not like you do eight reps or 12 reps. And generally I like between 20 and 30 reps. As far as how many sets, uh, I think two to three sets is usually adequate.

Single Leg Press: Safe Strengthening Tips for Patients

Patients ask a lot of questions about what specifically to do at the gym, especially for safe leg strengthening. The single leg leg press is one of my favorite exercises because it helps build strength in each leg individually and can highlight any side-to-side differences. You can do both legs at the same time if you are absolutely sure your leg strength is the same.

In this video, you’ll see the exercise performed to the point of fatigue (there’s no magic number of reps). In general, I like patients to work in the 20–30 rep range, with about 2–3 sets, focusing on control and proper form rather than rushing through the movement. Use a weight that challenges you by the end of the set but still feels safe on your joints.

Leg Strengthening: The Romanian Deadlift + Row Combo

Patients often ask about the best strengthening exercises for their legs. I made these videos with my good friends to show some examples of simple, effective movements that build stability and strength.

In this video, you’ll see a Romanian deadlift combined with a row, which is a great way to work the glutes, hamstrings, and core while improving balance. Watching someone perform the move can make it easier to understand how to get into the right position and keep good form.

If balancing with the row feels challenging, try starting with just the Romanian deadlift until you’re comfortable. If this is too hard you can do it without the row or you can hold free weights in your hands and let your hands dangle for balance.

Transcript

This exercise is a Romanian deadlift combined with a row. So what is good about this exercise is first of all it emphasizes balance and and secondly both core, glute and hamstring strengthening. So, if this is too hard, you can do it without the row or you can hold free weights in your hands and let your hands dangle for balance.

Questions? Let’s talk.

Dr. Strickland’s team is here to help answer your questions and guide your next step.

Patient Information Post Surgery Guidelines Contact