Knee Exercises

What's that? Did I hear your knees crunch when you stood up? This page is devoted to knee exercises to help strengthen your knees.



The knee is the largest and most complicated joint in the body. It is also the joint that is most easily injured. Sports and physical activity can cause injury as well as overuse and misuse. As we age, we are also prone to osteoarthritis in the knee. This occurs as the cartilage in the knee gradually wears away.

The good news is that there are things that we can do to keep our knees operating well. The knee joint is supported by muscles. The two main supporting muscles are the quadriceps and the hamstrings. Strengthening these muscles will help strengthen the knee joint. It is important to do both strength and flexibility exercises to reduce the stress on the knee.

Watch the video to see several exercises that will help increase your flexibility and strength.

OTHER TIPS

Lose weight - Most people diagnosed with osteoarthritis are overweight. Of course there are exceptions, but excess weight contributes to a large majority of health problems. Losing weight will reduce the stress on the knee joint.

Switch to low impact exercise - Cardio exercises like running and high impact aerobics puts a lot of stress on the knee joints. Switching to walking, swimming or low impact aerobics can give you a good cardio workout while protecting your knees.

Walk backwards - Walking backwards helps to develop the hamstrings. Give it a try.

Watch your form - Whenever you exercise, be sure that your knees never go beyond your toes when doing squats, lunges and other leg exercises.

Always warm up - Warm muscles aren't damaged as easily. Always warm up for about 5 minutes before exercising or stretching. Walking (around or in place) or riding a stationary bike are two good ways to warm up.

Simple Knee Exercises - Don't have a lot of time? Try these few simple exercises to help increase the strength in your knees. Do the exercises slowly for best results.

• Sit in a chair with both feet on the ground in front of you. Straighten one knee as you lift your foot off of the ground. Hold for a second then lower. Repeat. Do 10 reps with each leg.
• Lie on your stomach on the floor. Bend one knee 90 degrees behind you. Straighten back to the floor. Repeat. Do 10 reps with each leg. This exercises works the hamstrings.
• Lean against a wall. Bend your knees as you slide down the wall into a squatting position. Make sure that your knees don't extend beyond your toes. A "seated" 90 degree position is best. Hold for a few seconds then straighten back up. This works both sets of muscles in your thighs.

One benefit to doing knee exercises is that not only do you strengthen and firm up the knee area, but your legs will look great too. And who doesn't want that?

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