Bone Graft Harvest (Iliac Crest) 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. Glute Squeezes

What it helps: Wakes up the glutes — the big muscles that steady and support your hip. Getting them firing again is the first step toward a hip that feels stronger and carries you with less strain on the joint.

How often: 2-3 sets of 10, a few times a day.

1. Lie or sit comfortably.
2. Squeeze your buttock muscles together.
3. Hold a few seconds, then relax.

3. 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.

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. Isometric Hip Abduction

What it helps: Holding a steady contraction loads the side-hip tendons gently — it often eases pain while it begins rebuilding their strength. A calm, controlled first step before adding moving loads.

How often: 4–5 holds sets of Hold 30–45 seconds, daily.

1. Sit tall (or lie on your back) with a looped band around the outside of your knees — or simply use your hands on the outside of your knees for resistance.
2. Press your knees gently outward against the band or your hands.
3. Hold a firm but comfortable push — steady, no movement — then slowly relax.
4. Rest a moment and repeat.

Tip: You should feel the muscles on the side of the hip working — not your hip pain. Ease the effort if it provokes the sore spot.

6. Quad Sets

What it helps: Wakes up the quadriceps — the big thigh muscles that support and control your knee. Getting them firing is the foundation of a strong, steady leg.

How often: 2-3 sets of 10, a few times a day.

1. Sit or lie with your leg straight.
2. Tighten the muscle on top of your thigh, pressing the back of your knee down.
3. Hold briefly, then relax.

7. 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. Using light hand weights or a resistance band while seated, work through gentle arm and shoulder movements.

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

8. Side-Lying Hip Abduction

What it helps: Loads the side-hip muscles a step harder, building the strength that keeps your hip level and takes pressure off the joint on stairs and longer walks.

How often: 2-3 sets of 10-15, daily.

1. Lie on your side with the bottom leg bent for support.
2. Keep the top leg straight and raise it toward the ceiling.
3. Hold briefly, then lower slowly.

Tip: Keep your toes pointing forward, not up.

Recovery reading

• Recovery Guide
• Before Surgery
• After Surgery