Physical Therapy Aquatic Knee Exercises

Aquatic knee exercises are the same as the ones you do out of the pool, but the water provides buoyancy and natural resistance and can make for an easier and less-painful physical therapy regime. Physical therapy aquatic knee exercises, known as water or aquatic therapy, fulfill goals from increasing muscle flexibility to strengthening the leg muscles that support your knee.

Strengthening Your Knee Muscles

• To protect your knee from further injury and regain its functionality, you need to concentrate mainly on strengthening the muscles surrounding the knee, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. These include the quadriceps and hamstrings -- the muscles on the front and back of the thigh.

  Do foot raises. Get into waist-deep water. Face the pool's side. Be certain your feet are flat on the pool's bottom. Hold onto the side as you lift yourself up onto the balls of your feet. Hold. Return to original position. Repeat. This exercise mainly helps strengthen your hamstrings.

  Do a leg lift. While in waist-deep water, place your back against the pool's side. You can either use your arms to anchor yourself or let them hang freely at your sides. Lift your weak leg. Hold for five seconds. Slowly return to original position. Repeat. This exercise strengthens your quadriceps.

  Do a step up. Get into waist-deep water. Face the steps. Hold onto the railing. Lift yourself up to the first step with your weak leg. Lift your opposite leg onto the step so that both feet are on the step. Return your weak leg to the pool's bottom. Do the same with your opposite leg. Repeat process five times.

Stretching Your Knee Muscles

• Muscles need to be stretched as well as strengthened. To stretch hamstrings, stand in the pool with your back against the pool's side. Move your weak leg forward. Gently pull your toes back toward your body. Feel the stretch behind your knee. Hold for five seconds. Return to original position. Repeat.

  For a quadriceps stretch, stand in waist-deep water, facing the side of the pool. Kick your injured leg back. Grab hold of your ankle and pull your heel closer to your body. Gently stretch your leg until you feel your thigh muscle stretch. Hold. Return to original position. Repeat.

Water Walking

• Get in the pool, about waist-deep, and start walking. Walking requires you to use all the leg muscles that support the knee. Hold onto the side of the pool with one hand. Be certain that your feet are completely touching the pool's bottom. Walk around the pool's perimeter at a comfortable pace. As you progress, you can speed up your water walk into a water jog.