The Knee

Bridge

Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor under your knees.

Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles by pushing your low back into the ground before you push up.

Raise your hips to create a straight line from your knees to shoulders.

Squeeze your core and pull your belly button back toward your spine.

Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, and then return to your starting position.

Straight Leg Raises

For this exercise, you can use a mat to add cushioning under your back.

Lie down on the floor with one leg bent and one leg straight out in front of you.

Contract the quadricep of your straight leg and slowly raise it up off the floor until it’s the same height as your bent knee.

Pause at the top for 5 seconds, then lower to the starting position

Calf Raises

This exercise will strengthen the calf muscles which consist of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.

Rise up and down on the toes in a smooth movement.

You should be able to progress quite quickly with this one but aim for 3 sets of 10 and build up steadily, a few each day.

It can be progressed later in the rehabilitation process by doing single leg calf raises and then single leg calf raises without holding onto anything.

V Stretch

Sit with your legs straight out in front of you with your back straight and your chest up.

Slowly and carefully work legs out as far as they will go without straining. Breathe.

Exhale and bend forward at the hips until you feel some resistance, keeping the back straight. Hold.

TIP: If you feel a strain in the knee, bring the legs a little closer together.

Downward Dog

The key to getting a calf stretch out of this classic yoga pose is to press your heels toward the ground.

Start in a high plank with your hands directly under your shoulders.

Pressing through your fingers and palms, shift your weight back to bring your butt to the ceiling, so your body's in an inverted V shape.

Press your heels toward the ground—the closer they get to the floor, the deeper the calf stretch will be.

To stretch the lower part of your calves, bend your knees slightly while you continue to press your heels toward the ground.

Seated Calf Stretch with Band

Sit on the floor with your legs extended.

Loop a resistance band (or whatever tool you're using) around one foot, holding both sides of it with your hands.

Gently pull your toes toward your shin until you feel the stretch in your calf.

Repeat on the other side.