The heel slide is a simple home exercise for your knee. Lie on your back with your legs straight. Slide your heel toward your buttocks, bending the knee as far as is comfortable. Slide it back. Move slowly. Do it 10 times.
Do this exercise only if your physician checked it on your home exercise handout. Unless your provider writes something different, do your checked exercises two times a day, every day.
How do you do the heel slide?
- Start: Lie on your back with your legs straight.
- Do: Slide your heel toward your buttocks, bending the knee as far as is comfortable. Slide it back.
- Repeat: Move slowly. Do it 10 times.
What does the heel slide help?
It brings back the bend in your knee. A knee that does not bend makes stairs, sitting and getting in a car hard.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Forcing the bend past a gentle stretch.
- Lifting your heel off the floor.
- Rushing the return.
When should you stop and call?
A gentle stretch, mild discomfort or feeling a little sore the next morning is normal. Stop and call (314) 887-5866 if you have:
- Sharp or stabbing pain
- Pain 2 points higher than before that lasts more than an hour
- New numbness, tingling or weakness
- Dizziness, or any change in vision
For chest pain, trouble breathing or fainting, call 911.
Bring your log to every visit
Check a box each time you do your exercises and write your pain number once a day. At each visit, your technician counts the days you did them and watches you do one exercise to make sure your form is right.
More knee exercises
This exercise is part of our physician-directed physiotherapy program, where a physician orders and supervises every treatment.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP. Board Certified in Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, Interventional Pain Management, Addiction Medicine, and Obesity Medicine. Last reviewed October 18, 2026.