This exercise programme is only suitable for cruciate ligament tears where no surgery has been performed on the ligament. If surgery has been performed, the rehabilitation programme should be carried out under the guidance of the doctor or team responsible for the operation.
Condition
Unlimited: Walking, cycling on an exercise bike, swimming (front crawl)
Stretching
Stand with your training leg straight on a step/stool while bending your front body slightly forwards. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds.
Stand up straight with your hands on your hips. Gently arch your back and press down slightly with your hands to deepen the arch, so that you feel a gradual stretch in your abdominal muscles. Hold the position for 20 seconds. Relax for 20 seconds.
Cross your straight training leg behind your support leg while bending your body out to the side over your training leg to increase the stretch on the outside of your thigh. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds. Repeat the exercise, alternating between your right and left legs.
The exercise can also be done while lying on your side on a table or bed. Bend your lower leg up towards you and let your upper leg hang over the edge of the table to increase the stretch on the inside of your thigh. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds. Turn round and do the same exercise on the other leg.
Stand with your legs apart. Keep one leg straight and the other slightly bent. Shift your weight to the side onto your bent leg, so that you feel a gradual stretch on the inside of the opposite thigh. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds. Repeat the exercise on the other leg.
Coordination
Stand on your toes with knees bent. Put your weight on the tips of your toes and keep your balance. Initially, support yourself with one hand against the wall.
Strength
Sit on a chair with both feet resting on a stool. Lift one leg slightly above the stool, keeping your foot flexed as much as possible, and hold the position for 10 seconds. Relax and repeat the exercise with the other leg. Repeat the exercise, alternating between the right and left legs.
Lie on your back on the floor with your lower leg resting on a stool or chair. Let your foot hang freely. Move your foot up and down and from side to side.
Sit on a chair with a ball under your foot. Roll the ball forwards and backwards and from side to side. Later, replace the ball with a tennis ball.
Sit on the floor with your working leg extended. Press your knee toward the floor, lift your heel off the floor, and flex your ankle upward. Hold the position for about 10 seconds. You should feel tension in the front of your thigh. Repeat the exercise on the other leg.
Stand with your back against a wall, holding a ball between the back of your knee and your leg. Push your knee backwards to maximise the pressure on the ball. Hold the position for a few seconds, then relax.
Lie on your back. Let the heel of the training leg rest on a smooth floor. Bend and stretch the training leg while maintaining contact with the ground.
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Hold a ball between your knees and squeeze for 20 seconds. Relax for 10 seconds.