Crutch-assisted walking: Humble yourself and use crutches to assist you in walking--go on them and off them as needed. You will get better faster and more comfortably if you use one or two crutches to get you to walk right throughout the day. For instance, wean off them at home when you feel stable and take one or two with you when you leave. Keep them in the car if you want to, but at least you have them if you need them.

Loosen up: Get up a few minutes early in the morning and do some exercises to get loosened up for the day. Try to avoid the "stiff cup of coffee and a couple of hours" routine. After your shower when you are 'warmed-up', do some of the prescribed exercises to get you walking, sitting, and standing correctly first thing.

Pain vs. Stiffness: It is important to recognize the difference between pain and general stiffness. Regardless of one's individual 'pain tolerance', and unless you are instructed otherwise, anything that causes pain in the knee should be modified or stopped.

Next Day Rule: Generally speaking, when it comes to increasing activities, follow the "next day rule". Any increase in activity or new exercise will probably cause the knee to swell that evening or even get a little stiff. That's normal. Go home, get it up and ice it and it should be better by the next morning. Any swelling or increased soreness that lasts through the next day was too much.

Days-as-rehab: Look at those more challenging day-to-day activities as rehab and not as obstacles (i.e. going up and down stairs, walking on uneven ground or hills). In other words, use your 'days-as-rehab'. The more rehab-type of exercises that you do regularly throughout the day, then the less you need to do at individual sessions. And the more you use these 'obstacles' as rehab, the more stable you get overall.

Listen to your knee: Most new activities will probably cause the knee to be a little stiff or sore as you first start out. That is normal, keep going. If it goes away, great. If it does not, or if tightness and soreness comes back--back off. But try it again within the next day or two.

Loosey-goosey: Keep your leg and body stretched regularly. You will be so much happier.

Lean and strong: Keep your abdominal muscles strong. Your body will be so much happier.

Strength and consistency: What you used to do for activities, hobbies or sports before your surgery was enough to keep you active and strong. Now you are going to have to do regular exercises in order to be able to participate in them comfortably at all. Regardless of whether its being able to do day-to-day activities or even to be skiing the steepest chutes in Chamonix, consider yourself 'in training' post-op for up to a year.

Be smart: It is better to be a day late than a minute early doing anything new. If you are not sure if your knee is ready, ask. If you're going to try it anyway, go slow and warm-up to it.

Sport-specific training: Train into your weaknesses. When beginning activities - especially sports - if you discover that you feel weak in a particular area or during a particular move, do it over and over. Concentrate on your mechanics and body position. Get strong doing it in a controlled situation when you can focus it.

Also see: How to Speed Your Recovery From a Sports Injury