Strong knees balance your body and help you maintain a correct
posture. The importance of healthy knees, however, is often unrecognized
until there’s a problem. And the knees are the most commonly injured
joints in the body.
Anyone, irrespective of age, can face trouble
with their knees at some point in time. Playing sports, following a
rigorous exercise routine or participating in other activities can cause
muscle strains or ligament tears leading to knee problems.
For some, the pain can be severe enough to restrict daily activities, while for others it may be just mild. In either case, you must not ignore knee problems lest they might turn severe.
Here are 10 simple knee-strengthening exercises that can be easily practiced at home.
1. Partial Squats
Squats
are your best friend when it comes to knee troubles. In fact, it is one
of the best exercises for rehabilitation of the knee. Partial squats
help train the leg muscles and also
improve balance and coordination.
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A
2014 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning
Research suggests that partial squats may be beneficial for strength and
power athletes during a strength-speed mesocycle while peaking for
competition.
Experts suggest that partial squats are more
effective when carried out before and in conjunction with
higher-intensity exercises of your overall training progression.
- Stand about 12 inches away from the front of a chair or any other stable surface.
- Make sure your feet are about hip-width apart and your toes are facing forward.
- Slightly bend at the hips and slowly lower yourself halfway down to the chair, as if you were going to sit down in the chair.
- Hold this position for 2 or 3 seconds.
- Slowly stand back up, wait 2 or 3 seconds and repeat.
- Repeat this cycle 10 to 12 times.
2. Hamstring Stretch (Standing)
The
hamstrings are an important knee-stabilizing group of muscles that run
down the back side of the thighs to the knees. The hamstring muscles
work together to flex and bend the knee joint and to extend the hip
joint.
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Thus,
the hamstring stretch is a good exercise to strengthen the muscles and
support smooth knee functioning. There are multiple variations of this
exercise routine. You can choose one as per your ease and concerns.
A
2004 study published in the Journal of Athletic Training found that the
standing and supine hamstring stretches were comparably effective in
improving flexibility as measured by increasing range of motion at the
knee.
A 2013 study published in the European Journal of
Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology also found that standing
stretches are better than seated stretches when it comes to hamstrings.
- Stand straight and put one foot forward, toes up.
- Bend
the opposite knee, without moving the hip. Bend the knee as far as
possible or until you feel the hamstring stretch. Your upper body comes
forward at the hip.
- Hold this position for 10 seconds.
- Release and repeat with the other leg.
- Do this 10 to 12 times on each leg.
Note: Do not stretch or twist your back.
3. Marching in Place
One
easy exercise that suits people of different age groups and knee
conditions is marching in place. It requires no specialized equipment
and provides an option for at-home exercise or you can do it at a beach
or park.
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Marching in place is a great exercise to help
relieve knee pain. It helps increase the strength of your quads without actually putting any weight through the knee joints.
It is also good for improving your balance as well as your heart health and weight management.
- Stand straight.
- Take alternating steps in place by bringing the knees up to a comfortable height.
- Increase the speed slowly and maintain a moderate pace.
- Strive for 60 seconds of marching.
Preferably, do this exercise while wearing your walking shoes and holding a chair.
4. Calf Raises
A very common injury associated with the knee is a torn meniscus.
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The
meniscus is a C-shaped piece of cartilage on either side of the knee
joint, sitting between the larger of two lower leg bones and the upper
leg bone. It is more prone to injuries due to twisting of the knee or
other degenerative changes.
Calf raises help the meniscus by strengthening the muscles that surround and stabilize the knee.
Further,
they help the ankle muscles in improving coordination and balance, thus
keeping the knee aligned in a proper plane. They put minimal pressure
on the knee and are ideal for recovering from a damaged meniscus.
- Hold the back of a chair or any other stable surface.
- Keeping your back straight, rise up on your toes, slowly lifting your heels off the ground.
- Slowly lower back down.
- Repeat this for 10 to 12 sets.
5. Straight Leg Lifts
Straight
leg lifts help improve the stability of knee joints by strengthening
the quadricep muscles in your thighs. And the stronger your quads, the
more control they have over your knees.
Warm up with a low-impact activity, such as walking or cycling, before doing this exercise.
- Lie on your back.
- Keep one leg at a 45-degree angle and the other straight.
- Lift the other leg about 6 inches off the floor, keeping your thigh muscles tight in the straight leg.
- Hold this position for 10 seconds. As you gain strength, you can build up to holding the contraction for up to 1 minute.
- Slowly return to starting position.
- Repeat the same for the other leg.
- Do this 5 times for each leg.
During this exercise try to keep your upper body relaxed and tighten your stomach muscles. Never arch your back.
Note: Do not practice this exercise if you have a history of back problems.
6. Step Ups
Step
ups are a great knee-strengthening exercise that helps improve knee
stability and strengthens the quadriceps. Strengthening the adjoining
muscles helps decrease the strain on the knee joints, thus relieving
your pain.
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You may use an aerobic step bench or a staircase for this exercise.
- Stand in front of a step with your feet about hip-width apart.
- Step up onto the step with your left foot.
- Tap your right foot on the top of the step and then lower it.
- Repeat with your right foot.
- Do 20 to 30 repetitions.
7. Side-Lying Leg Lifts
This exercise primarily targets your
abductor muscles (the outer side of the thighs) that are important for
playing sports and conducting your daily activities. It works on
creating tension in your gluteus medius (outer thigh), which helps make
them stronger and more stable.
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The exercise is also effective for toning the hip area.
- Lie down on one side with your legs stacked and straight.
- Support your head with your left arm.
- Keeping the top leg straight, slowly lift it to about 45 degrees.
- Hold this position for 20 seconds.
- Slowly lower the leg and relax for a couple of seconds.
- Repeat 10 to 15 times.
- Switch sides and start over with the other leg.
- Do 15 to 20 sets of this exercise every day.
8. Glute Bridges
Strong
gluteals are essential for healthy functioning knees. They help control
the movement of the knees by preventing them from collapsing inwards.
Thus, they form the very foundation for strong knees. Weak or inactive
glutes may cause all sorts of problems in your knees.
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Bridge,
as a form of exercise, works on strengthening your glutes, hamstrings
and abs, while putting minimal to no pressure on the knees.
- Lie on your back.
- Bend both knees at about a 90-degree angle, while resting your feet on the floor.
- Slowly
lift your bottom off the floor as high as you can. (Do not arch your
back and make sure your shoulders, hips and knees align).
- Hold this position for 2 or 4 seconds.
- Perform 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps of this exercise, 2 or 3 times a week.
The
single-leg glute bridge is also considered as one of the best exercises
for hip stability. This exercise is also effective at keeping knee pain
and other problems at bay.
9. Wall Squats
Squats are the best exercise to help you
assess the strengths and weaknesses within your knee joints. However,
wall squats are the best as less force goes through the knees when
performing them. Also, this exercise is simply perfect for anyone
suffering from knee pain.
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Although
the exercise places pressure on the knees with repetitive bending, it
helps in protecting your delicate joints and muscles in and around them.
This exercise is specifically a boon for runners and athletes or those
with runner’s knee injury.
A 2016 study published in the Journal
of Physical Therapy Science reports that use of the wall squat also aids
in the control of common compensation patterns, such as pelvic
rotations, dynamic valgus and weight-bearing deviations in the feet
observed in the training environment.
- Stand with your back against a wall. Make sure your feet are about shoulder-width apart.
- Slowly bend your knees, keeping your back and pelvis straight against the wall.
- Hold
this position for 5 to 10 seconds, however avoid bending too deeply.
Adjust your position if you feel some pressure or discomfort in your
knees.
- Slowly slide up the wall, keeping the abdominal muscles as tight as possible.
- Repeat the exercise while trying to hold the sitting position a little longer each time.
If
possible, try to do this exercise with a Swiss ball. A 2011 study
published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reports that use of a
Swiss ball during the wall squat exercise has additional benefit on
lower limb muscle activity.
Note: Do not slide your hips down lower than your knees.
10. Calf Stretch (Gastrocnemius Stretch)
Calf muscles play a significant role in supporting your knees, as well as in reducing pain and improving flexibility.
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The
calves are made up of two muscles on the back of your lower legs–the
gastrocnemius and soleus. The main job of these muscles is to pull the
foot down, like when you point your toes.
However, these are often
neglected during workouts and exercise routines. And a pain in the calf
muscles can be extremely tight and might even travel up to the knees.
So,
it is important to take care of your calves and loosen them up to avoid
any kind of pain or trouble in the knees. Stretching is one form of
exercise that can keep these muscles loose and relieve pain in the
muscles and knees.
Plus, it is beneficial for
treatment of plantar fascia.
A 2013 study published in the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation found
that gastrocnemius-soleus stretching should be considered as
supplemental to plantar fascia-specific stretching.
- Hold onto a chair or any other stable surface for balance.
- Bend your right leg.
- Step back with your left leg.
- Slowly straighten your left leg behind you.
- Press your left heel toward the floor. You will feel the stretch in the calf of your back leg.
- Hold for 20 seconds.
- Repeat twice, and then switch legs.