About a third of Americans report knee pain at some point in their lives. Between 15 and 20% of men are affected by this problem, while in women the figures are slightly higher, 20% or more.
Your problem is a problem. So we’ve found some easy exercises and stretches that are good for your knees. All of the following exercises have been well researched and tested, but in any case, consult your doctor before doing these exercises if you have a history of knee or leg pain or surgery. Our advice is to start slowly and build up over time.
Warm-Up
We don’t want you to hurt your knees and one of the most common reasons behind knee pain is poor technique. You can warm up by riding an exercise bike for 5 minutes.
Once you’re done with the bike, do some exercises to stimulate your body, like sit-ups and stretches to lower your risk of injury.
Straight Leg Raises
Steps:
Lie on your back on the floor. Place your feet flat on the floor and bend one knee while keeping the other leg straight. Raise the straight leg to the level of the bent knee.
Repeat 10 times and do 3 sets with both legs. Does this sound easy? Try to do this without bending your knee and increasing the angle of your leg as shown in the picture. Make sure to do this slowly for the best results.
Doctors recommend doing this exercise after knee surgery to strengthen the knees.
Hip Raises
Steps:
Lie on your back on the floor. Bend your knees while keeping your arms parallel to your body. Raise your hips while keeping your feet on the floor and make sure your hands stay in position.
Hold for a few seconds, repeat 10 times, and do 3 sets. This exercise is not only good for your hamstrings but your glutes and hips as well. This helps restore knee motion and prevent further injury.
Lunges
Steps:
Stay straight. Step forward with your right leg, keeping your left leg in the same position. Bend your right knee and keep your upper body straight. Make sure both hands are parallel to the body.
Hold the position. Get up to return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg. Repeat 10 times and do 3 sets with both legs if you are a beginner.
If you want a bigger challenge, hold some light weights with both hands while you do this. But if you are a beginner, we recommend that you do it without the weight. With more practice, you can increase your weight day by day.
This exercise helps the muscles of the hips and thighs. During the forward lunge, the gluteus maximus works the ACL (a connection in our knees between the thigh and the foot) and this exercise helps to strengthen it.
Wall Squats
Steps:
Keep your back against the wall. Slowly bend your knees while keeping your back and pelvis against the wall. Just bend as much as your body can support, without putting undue pressure on your knees.
Hold for 5-10 seconds and repeat as many times as your body can handle. The abductors (outer thigh) and adductors (inner thigh) are one of the most important muscle groups for knee rehabilitation.
Calf Raises
Steps:
Stay straight. Slowly raise your heels as high as you can and then lower them. Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
You can increase the intensity by doing this on a higher surface, such as stairs, or one leg at a time.
Strengthening the hamstring and quadriceps muscles that support the knees reduces stress on the knee joint.
Wasn’t that a great set of strengthening exercises? If you have weak knees, give it a try, and don’t forget to share your experiences in the comments. Be sure to share this with people with knee problems.
