Straight Leg Raise

Lie on your back on the floor (or on your bed, if you cannot manage the floor easily). Bend one leg and place that foot flat on the floor. Lift the other leg, keeping your knee straight, to about 45 degrees (see figure 8.1). Then slowly lower your leg back to the floor or bed. Perform this movement with both legs.

You also need upper-extremity strength when facing surgery. After surgery you will be walking with a walker or crutches, depending on your strength and balance and on your physician's instructions. The object in using these assistive devices is to eliminate or decrease the amount of weight placed on your surgical leg. Your arms, aided by the walker or crutches, help support your body weight while you move that leg forward. An easy exercise, which simulates the motion your arms will be doing, is a seated press-up. Start with sets of 5 repetitions, gradually increasing to 10, and repeat the movement two to three times during the day. More traditional upper-body strength exercises include biceps and triceps curls with free weights or tubing and latissimus pull-downs (the latissimus muscles help hold your arms into your sides, a critical skill for walking with crutches).

Figure 8.2 Straight leg raise