Foreign Body Removal (Deep) Starter Exercise Guide

1. Walking Program

What it helps: Comfortable, frequent walking keeps the joints loose, builds your stamina, and rebuilds confidence on your feet. Little and often beats long and tiring.

How often: throughout the day.

1. Take short walks at a comfortable pace.
2. Increase your distance gradually as you feel able.

Tip: Use your assistive device as directed.

2. Ankle Pumps

What it helps: Keeps blood moving to reduce swelling and the risk of clots while you're less active — small, frequent, and important early on.

How often: 20 repetitions, several times a day.

1. Flex your foot up, pointing your toes toward the ceiling.
2. Point your toes down, away from your body.

Tip: Move slowly and with control.

3. Flexibility Exercises

What it helps: Keeps your joints and muscles moving through a comfortable range, so you stay supple and move with ease.

How often: most days.

1. Sit tall on a chair and slide one leg forward, heel on the floor and toes up.
2. Hinge forward from the hips and reach gently toward that foot until you feel a stretch behind the thigh.
3. Hold for around 30 seconds, breathing normally, then ease back.
4. Repeat on the other side.

Tip: A stretch should feel like a long pull, never a pinch - and never bounce into it.

4. Core Activation

What it helps: Switches on the deep core muscles that stabilize your pelvis and spine, giving your hips a solid platform to move from.

How often: 2-3 sets of 10, daily.

1. Lie or sit comfortably.
2. Gently draw your belly button toward your spine.
3. Hold a few seconds while breathing normally, then relax.

Tip: Avoid holding your breath.

5. Upper Body Conditioning

What it helps: Keeps your arms and shoulders strong — especially helpful for using crutches and staying active during recovery.

How often: a few times a week.

1. Sit tall in a chair without arms, both feet flat on the floor and your back supported.
2. Hold a light weight in each hand, arms relaxed at your sides, palms turned in toward your thighs.
3. Raise both arms out to the sides until they are level with your shoulders.
4. Lower them slowly back to your sides.

Tip: Stay seated and supported while you're non-weight-bearing.

6. Progressive Walking Program

What it helps: Keep building your walking distance and pace — steady gains in endurance and confidence on your feet.

How often: daily.

1. Walk on level ground at a comfortable pace, landing on the heel and rolling through the foot.
2. Add a few minutes to the walk before you add speed or hills.
3. Go a little further each week rather than a lot further in one day.

Tip: Turning back while you still feel good is how the distance builds.

7. Strength Training

What it helps: Builds and maintains long-term strength to keep you active, resilient, and independent.

How often: a few times a week.

1. Work the major muscle groups two or three times a week, leaving a day between sessions.
2. Use a weight you can lift with good form for the whole set - the last repetition should feel hard, not impossible.
3. Lower slowly. The controlled way down is where much of the benefit sits.
4. Add a little weight only once the current one feels comfortable.

Tip: The dumbbell squat shown is one example. Which exercises suit you depends on the joint you are recovering from, and your program will say.

8. Stair Training

What it helps: Practices safe, confident stair use — strength and control for one of the most demanding everyday tasks.

How often: directed.

1. Practice going up and down stairs with a rail.
2. Lead as directed by your therapist.

What to expect in recovery

The full recovery guide for this procedure: Foreign Body Removal recovery.

Recovery reading

• Recovery Guide
• Before Surgery
• After Surgery