Heel slides are a gentle exercise done lying on your back: you slide one heel toward your bottom to bend the hip and knee, then slide it back out. They are used early in knee and hip rehab, often after surgery, to get the joint moving again.

How to do the heel slides

Lie on your back on a bed or firm surface with both legs straight and your arms relaxed by your sides.
Slowly slide the heel of your affected leg (the sore or operated side) along the surface toward your bottom, bending the hip and knee. Keep the knee pointing up at the ceiling.
Keep the heel in contact with the bed the whole way. Go until you feel a stretch or firm tightness in the knee, not pain.
Pause there for a moment, then slowly slide the heel back down until the leg is straight again. Let the leg relax before the next rep.
Keep the other leg straight and relaxed on the bed throughout.

What you should feel

A gentle stretch or tightness around the knee as it bends, and some light work in the front of the hip and back of the thigh.

Common mistakes

Lifting the heel off the bed and swinging the leg up.
Forcing the bend quickly into pain.
Letting the knee fall out to the side as it bends.

How often

Early rehab programs often use 10 to 15 slow reps, 2 or 3 times a day. After surgery, follow the plan from your surgeon and physio. Your physio will adjust the numbers as you progress.

Stop and check with your physio if

Pain in the knee or hip becomes sharp or keeps increasing with each rep.
Your calf or thigh is getting more swollen, or becomes warm, tender, red or darker than usual, or has a new throbbing or cramping pain. This can be a blood clot, especially after an operation, an injury, time in a cast, boot or brace, or a spell of being much less mobile than usual, and after an operation it can also be an infection. Stop and contact your medical team or get medical advice the same day. If you are also short of breath or have chest pain, call emergency services.
Your wound becomes more red, hot, swollen or painful, or starts to leak. Contact your medical team the same day.

From the clinic

A slippery surface makes this much easier. Wear a sock, or put a plastic bag or small towel under the heel so it glides instead of sticking. Slow, steady reps get you further than forcing the bend.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try heel slides. Sliding the heel toward you bends the hip, and many surgeons set a limit on how far it can bend for the first months after some operations, so find out what yours is.

Reviewed by the PocketPhysio by VirtueLife expert physiotherapy team. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Heel slides