Knee pain is no fun, but if you’re experiencing it, now’s the time to seek out help. This pain can happen for a number of reasons, ranging from overuse to injury, and treatment depends on the type of problem. It could be something as simple as resting the knee or icing it, or it could be something more serious that requires surgery. Knee pain that persists or that gets worse over time should be checked by a doctor.
12 Exercises to Help Your Knee Pain
Hamstring Stretch
A hamstring is a group of large muscles at the back of the thigh. They extend from the pelvis to just below the knee, and they help flex the knee. Because the hamstrings are some of the most flexible muscles in the body, they help stabilize the knee joint. However, if these muscles are tight and weak, they can cause the knee to “flatten out” and put you at risk for developing knee arthritis.
Calf Stretch
Calf stretches are the first exercises you should consider doing after a knee injury. There are many calf stretch techniques, but static and dynamic calf stretches are the most effective ones. Static stretches are more effective than dynamic stretches, but the latter can be more effective for people who have weak calf muscles.
Quad-set
Quad-set exercises are exercises that are particularly effective for knee pain. It exercises to work the muscles around the knee and improve the function of the tibiofemoral joint.
Seated Hip March
The seated hip march is a popular warmup exercise in physical therapy clinics. It’s useful because it promotes a good range of motion through the hip, knee, and ankle joints and improves knee and hip mobility. Since it’s simple to perform, you can perform many repetitions, improving your strength and stamina over time. It’s also a good exercise for beginners since it’s limited to hip and knee movements, which doesn’t make it too challenging.
Pillow Squeeze
The pillow squeeze exercise is great for improving and strengthening your knees and helps strengthen your entire body.
Heel Raise
Heel raise is a very basic exercise that targets the lower leg and is a safe and effective exercise for people with knee pain. It strengthens the muscles of the lower leg, specifically the calf muscles. The calf muscles are critical for stabilizing the knee. Heel raise exercise trains the calf muscles to better assist the knee in stabilizing and absorbing shock.
Side Leg Raise
Side leg raises are a great way to strengthen your knee, hip, and core, and it’s a great exercise to do after doing other strengthening exercises. While standing with your arms at your sides, try this exercise, holding weights. Raise your top leg up and down, switching sides after every 15 reps.
Sit to Stand
Sit-to-stand exercises can help ease knee pain. When you stand up from a sitting position, your knees carry the entire weight of your body. This puts a lot of stress on your knees, which can lead to knee pain. Depending on the severity of the pain, your doctor may recommend physical therapy and knee braces. But you can do simple exercises to relieve knee pain, including sitting to standing.
One Leg Balance
Exercising the knee can help alleviate pain and increase the range of motion. One-legged balancing exercise strengthens the quadriceps, hamstring, and buttocks. This exercise helps strengthen the muscles around the knee joint and improve balance and stability.
Step-Ups
There are many exercises you can do to help with knee pain, but it is one of the best exercises you can do. Step-Ups are an exercise that can strengthen the muscles that attach to the knee, particularly the quadriceps and glutes.
Walking
It has been said that walking is one of the best exercises you can do, and with good reason. Walking can help strengthen and tone your muscles, improve your endurance and cardiovascular health, boost your mood and relieve stress, help you lose weight, and more. So, what are you waiting for? Start walking today!
Low-Impact Activities
Knee Pain and Low Impact Activities are two words that should be on everyone’s mind. Knee pain can impact everyone at any age. Low-impact activities can help decrease or prevent knee pain by strengthening muscles and increasing flexibility.
Knee pain is a very common complaint and a cause of long-term disability. It can be caused by anything from arthritis to injuries to overuse. The good news is that regular exercise has many benefits for your body as well. Unfortunately, a knee injury can put a damper on your workout. Thankfully, a few knee-friendly exercises can help restore knee strength and range of motion. Strengthen your joint to prevent future injury, prevent knee stiffness, and reduce the risk of falls.