If you’re wondering how to start working out again after a knee injury, you’re not alone. That hesitation you feel, the fear of making things worse, is completely normal. You want to stay active, but you also want to protect your knee and avoid another painful setback.
At Rise Rehab and Sport Performance, we guide you through rebuilding strength, stability, and trust in your body. You’ll learn to move confidently again, one rep at a time.
Here’s the truth: recovery isn’t about rushing back. It’s about moving forward with intention.
By focusing on controlled strength, proper alignment, and consistent care, you’ll return to the workouts you love, stronger than before.
How To Start Working Out Again After Knee Injury
Understand What Your Knee Needs Before You Start
When you’re figuring out how to start working out again after knee injury, it’s about more than pushing through pain. It’s about retraining how you move.
Your knee joint depends on strength, balance, and coordination across your legs, hips, and core. If even one of those systems is off, you risk another setback.
At Rise Rehab and Sport Performance in Denver, we often see athletes coming back from skiing falls at Breckenridge, trail mishaps at Apex Park, or the grind of marathon training on Colfax.
These sports injuries need more than generic gym workouts. They need targeted physical therapy that focuses on stability and controlled strength.
You’ll learn to:
• Activate your quadriceps and hamstrings evenly for better knee control
• Improve your range of motion before adding resistance
• Strengthen the stabilizing muscles that protect your knee during running or hiking
If you’re ready to safely return to sports and daily life without pain, schedule your one-on-one physical therapy session today. Call (720) 248-4386 or book your call online to start your recovery journey.
Begin With Range Of Motion And Gentle Activation
Before loading your leg, focus on mobility and muscle engagement. A physical therapist helps you restore your full range safely.
You’ll use movements like:
• Heel slides to gently stretch and mobilize your knee joint
• Straight leg raises to wake up your quadriceps without added strain
• Hamstring curls to balance front and back leg strength
These exercises help you reduce stiffness, improve circulation, and retrain your brain to trust your injured knee again.
Start slow and increase repetitions only when you stay pain free.
Gradually Build Strength And Stability
Once your knee can bend and straighten comfortably, it’s time to strengthen the muscles that support it. Think of your workouts as rebuilding the scaffolding around your joint.
We often recommend starting with:
• Step ups onto a low platform to restore functional control
• Mini squats and lunges with support until your balance improves
• Stationary bike sessions to rebuild endurance without pounding pressure
As your knee health improves, you’ll gradually progress to more weight or resistance. If you feel pain, swelling, or unusual discomfort, pause and check your movement pattern before continuing. Listening to your body helps prevent further injury.
Rebuild Coordination And Confidence
When you can move through your exercises pain free, we focus on dynamic control.
That means improving how your knee reacts during real activities like running at altitude, hiking rocky trails near Boulder, or returning to your CrossFit workouts.
Our sports physical therapy sessions include balance and flexibility training to help you react quickly and stay strong through motion.
You’ll work on drills that challenge your stability, coordination, and speed, so your knees feel ready for every step, turn, or jump.
Return To Your Full Workout Routine Safely
Getting back to your workouts after a knee injury isn’t just about being cleared by your doctor or orthopedic surgeon. It’s about knowing your body is ready to handle stress again.
We’ll guide you through a progressive plan that restores strength, flexibility, and confidence.
You’ll learn to:
• Warm up intentionally to protect your joints and ligaments
• Strengthen the muscles that stabilize your knee
• Maintain flexibility to prevent tightness and fatigue
• Recover properly between workouts to keep your knees resilient
Your journey back to training isn’t linear, and that’s okay. What matters is that each session gets you closer to your full range, better movement, and more trust in your body.
Whether you’re training for the BOLDERBoulder 10K or hitting the slopes again, our goal is to help you move without pain, and enjoy every stride, squat, and step of it.
Safely Return To Sports And Daily Activities
Move With Confidence Again
At Rise Rehab and Sport Performance, we understand what it takes to rebuild trust in your body after a knee injury. Whether you’re training for the Colfax Marathon, hiking in Eldorado Canyon, or just trying to walk without stiffness, you deserve to move confidently again.
We focus on helping you restore proper movement patterns, balance, and muscle strength. Each session is one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy who knows how to identify the exact cause of your pain and teach you how to prevent it from coming back.
You’ll learn to:
• Control your knee joint through every range of motion
• Strengthen weak links that increase strain and swelling
• Build endurance safely without overloading the injured area
• Progress your workouts toward pain free, functional strength
Rebuild Strength That Lasts
Once your mobility improves, we guide you through progressive resistance training to rebuild stability and power. You’ll use exercises that strengthen your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes so your knee stays protected during high-demand movements.
Our approach uses movement analysis and gait testing to find and correct small issues before they turn into bigger problems. That’s how you keep your progress consistent and avoid re-injury.
We often include:
• Step ups and controlled squats to improve real-world strength
• Balance drills to challenge joint stability
• Soft tissue mobilization and manual therapy to reduce tightness and knee pain
Return To What You Love
Our goal is to help you return to your favorite activities stronger than before.
You’ll not only recover from your injured knee but also understand how to maintain knee health for the long run. When you finish your program, you’ll know exactly how to warm up, strengthen, and stretch to protect your knees during any workout.
Whether you’re skiing at Breckenridge, mountain biking near Boulder, or competing in your next CrossFit event, we help you perform at your best without fear of re-injury.
If you’re ready to safely return to sports and daily life without pain, schedule your one-on-one physical therapy session today. Call (720) 248-4386 or book your call online and start your recovery journey.