It is important that before you choose a particular patellar tendonitis exercise to ensure that such exercise does not place any stress - is it mechanical or weight-bearing on your knee or patellar tendon; or, even on your kneecap.

Sagittal section of right knee-joint

On the other hand such patellar tendonitis exercise must allow you to use the complete range of your knee motion as this will help patients complete their rehabilitation program in the shortest time as well as in the safest manner.

The best patellar tendonitis exercise is without a doubt knee extension and this is achieved through using an apparatus known as leg extension resistance training machine. Essentially, this patellar tendonitis exercise requires that you start the exercise in a seated position with your knees at maximum flexion as allowed by the machine. You can start with a resistance level that is achievable without feeling pain.

In this patellar tendonitis exercise you will need to extend your knees fully and then hold the position for between three and five seconds. Next, you can return to your starting position in a slow manner and rest for another five seconds after which you can repeat the entire cycle for a maximum of ten times. You can also increase resistance from one training session to the next – as long as you don’t feel pain that prevents you from increasing the resistance.

Knee Flexion

Another useful patellar tendonitis exercise is the one known as knee flexion in which you will need to use a leg flexion resistance training apparatus. In this patellar tendonitis exercise you can start by lying face down and with knees extended as far as your machine allows, you may then start with resistance levels which do not cause you any pain. Next, you can flex your knees and then hold your position for between three and five seconds after which you can rest for about five seconds. The whole cycle can be repeated ten times and you can increase resistance after each training session.

In case you happen to be suffering from chronic patella tendonitis you must not then rule out the possibility that it may require having to go under the scalpel in order to recover from the condition.

It is essential that while in the rehabilitation process that you have enough strength in your thigh muscles and for this there is another useful patellar tendonitis exercise which is doing half-knee bends. However, you may also consider doing alternative patellar tendonitis exercises that are equally effective and these include swimming, water running as well as riding stationary bikes.