Knees take a lot of wear and tear, with all the running around, climbing stairs and bending over on a day-to-day basis. Besides the daily grind, many people don't focus on strengthening their knees while being active, even though the knees' function is imperative to many other movements and exercises.
If you've experienced knee pain or weakness, you're not alone. According to Next Avenue, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that knee pain is second only to lower back pain as the most commonly reported pain among adults in the United States. So whether you've been dealing with knee pain for some time or you've just started to experience weakness, these exercises could help you strengthen those important joints.
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If you have serious knee pain or weakness, speak to your doctor before starting any exercise regimen. You could have a torn muscle or ligament and need surgery.
1. Take the stairs
Climb the stairs instead of opting for the escalator or elevator to build up a bit more strength in your knees daily. The professionals at Active also say it's important for those with weak knees to avoid running. So ditch the treadmill at the gym and opt for the stair stepper instead. You'll work out the front and back of your legs, put less stress on your joints and totally tone your glutes.
Climb the stairs instead of opting for the escalator or elevator to build up a bit more strength in your knees daily. The professionals at Active also say it's important for those with weak knees to avoid running. So ditch the treadmill at the gym and opt for the stair stepper instead. You'll work out the front and back of your legs, put less stress on your joints and totally tone your glutes.
2. Resistance band knee bends
If you've injured your knee and been prescribed rehab before, you know this trick. Muscle and Fitness says the resistance band is a great low-impact quad activator that pumps blood back to your knees and strengthens your lower body.
If you've injured your knee and been prescribed rehab before, you know this trick. Muscle and Fitness says the resistance band is a great low-impact quad activator that pumps blood back to your knees and strengthens your lower body.
Using the resistance band is easy. Loop it around a sturdy base, put one leg inside the band and adjust it so it's just above the knee. Then walk outward to build up some tension in the band. Begin bending and extending the knee. Muscle and Fitness says you need to focus on straightening the knee totally and then contracting it back as hard as you can to maximize the potential of this exercise.
3. Calf stretch using towel
Strengthening your knees is also about building up the muscles around them to help support the knees' function, so don't forget your calf muscles.
Strengthening your knees is also about building up the muscles around them to help support the knees' function, so don't forget your calf muscles.
Active says you can do this easily by rolling up a yoga mat or towel and placing it in front of a chair. Put your toes on the rolled-up towel to elevate them slightly. Bend forward at the hips, lift from your tailbone and put your hands on the chair to balance yourself. Hold for one minute.
4. Resistance band around ankle
Muscle and Fitness explains that the ankles are imperative for proper knee function because they hinge, helping the hips and knees work together in movement. Stiff ankles can actually lead to injury and knee problems. To avoid this, Muscle and Fitness has a great workout to grease up those stubborn joints and get them back into motion.
Muscle and Fitness explains that the ankles are imperative for proper knee function because they hinge, helping the hips and knees work together in movement. Stiff ankles can actually lead to injury and knee problems. To avoid this, Muscle and Fitness has a great workout to grease up those stubborn joints and get them back into motion.
Take your band and loop one end around a base and the other around your ankle. Now separate your legs so that the banded leg is in front of the other and continue to inch out until you feel tension. Drive your knee forward as comfortably as you can — all while keeping your foot planted on the ground. You can even rotate the ankle from side to side. Repeat on each side for 45 seconds.
5. BOSU ball leg lifts
A BOSU ball is half of an exercise ball that's attached to a platform that you place right on the ground. You can use this ball to strengthen the small connective muscles at your knee with a simple exercise.
A BOSU ball is half of an exercise ball that's attached to a platform that you place right on the ground. You can use this ball to strengthen the small connective muscles at your knee with a simple exercise.
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Stand barefoot on top of your BOSU ball with one heel on the rounded top, and lifting the other leg a few inches off the ball. Balance yourself, and hold for three minutes per leg, three to five times a week.