Going through wear and tear every day, knees are easy to get hurt. The best way to strengthen your knees and avoid injury is to do knee strengthening exercises which reinforce the muscles supporting your knees and keep them flexible. Start slowly with any exercise to gradually increase your strength with time. It is perfectly normal if you experience a little muscle soreness. But if you feel an excruciating pain in your knees while doing exercise, stop the exercise and consult your health care provider.
Knee Strengthening Exercises for Strength and Mobility
Different exercises below fortify the muscles giving support to your knees, such as the teardrop and vastus medialis. You can perform these exercises before or after running. If you experience pain when doing the following exercises, seek professional assistance promptly. People with knee injuries are not advised to do these exercises.
1. Knee Bends
Stand about one foot apart from the wall. Keep your knees at hip width. Your feet should point outwards. Bend your knees and slide downwards. Then come upwards with the focus on your buttocks and teardrop muscle. Do three sets of ten reps.
2. Thigh Contraction
Sit on a stool or chair. Straighten one of your legs and raise it, keeping your foot pointed outwards. Squeeze the muscles of your right thigh and maintain this pose for ten seconds. Keep your teardrop muscle tensed. Change to the other leg and repeat. Do three sets of 15 seconds with each leg.
3. Straight Leg Raises
Sit on a stool or chair again. Raise and straighten one of your legs, pointing your foot outwards. Move your raised leg up and then down. Keep your teardrop muscle contracted. Change to the other leg and repeat. Do three sets of ten reps with each leg.
4. Hamstring Stretch with Thigh Contraction
Sit on your chair’s edge. Bend your left leg and straighten the right one. Place your heel perfectly on the floor and point your foot outwards. Bend a little towards the right leg to stretch the hamstring and tense the teardrop muscle. Do three sets of 15 reps on each leg.
5. Iliotibial Band (ITB) Stretch
Cross the right leg at the back of the left one for stretching the right ITB. Keep your feet firm on the floor. Lean towards your left and push the right hip a little outwards. Don’t bend or stick the butts out. You’ll experience a stretch in the outer right hip and thigh. Do three sets of 10 to 15 seconds on each leg.
6. Squats
This is one of the most regular knee strengthening exercises. Stand straight with the feet at shoulder width. Keep your feet pointed outwards with your hands at your sides. Lower your body a little by bending the knees slightly at right angle. Don’t slouch and keep your knees behind your toes. Do three sets of ten reps.
7. Single Leg Squat
Stand and point your feet outwards, keeping them at hip width. Lift the left foot and try balancing on the right one. Bend the right leg. Slowly lower your body and don’t let the knee go beyond your foot. Push your back up gradually to the starting position. Carry out three sets of five reps with each leg.
8. Wide Stance Single Leg Squat
Stand straight and point your feet outwards. Put your weight on the right leg. Lift the left foot and bend the right leg. Gradually lower your body, keeping your right knee and foot pointed in one direction. Push your back to the starting position, keeping the buttock and thigh muscles tight. Do three sets of five reps on each leg.
9. Lunges
Stand with your left leg behind your right leg. Bend your knees and lower into the lunge position till your right leg bends at a 90 degree angle. Put your weight on the heels and return to the starting pose. Make sure to keep the back straight. Do three sets of five reps with each leg.
Watch the following video demonstration to learn more about knee strengthening exercises.
Knee Strengthening Exercises for Knee Pain
The knee exercises below are for people with knee issues. The rehabilitating exercises mainly focus on strengthening, mobility and proprioception.
1. Calf Stretch
Hold a chair to balance your body. Bend the right leg and step back using the left one. Straighten left leg and press the left heel on the floor. There’ll be a stretch in your back leg’s calf. Hold this pose for 20 seconds. Repeat two times and then switch leg.
2. Quad Set
Lie down on the ground and relax both of your legs. Flex your left leg for five seconds and keep it tensed. Carry out two sets of ten reps and then switch the legs.
3. Seated Hip March
Sit on a chair. Kick the left foot backwards and keep the toes straight on the ground. Raise the right foot and bend your knee. Keep your right leg raised for three seconds. Lower the foot on the floor. Perform two sets of ten reps with each leg.
4. Pillow Squeeze
Put a pillow between your knees and squeeze. Hold for about five seconds and then relax. Perform two to three sets of about ten reps.
5. Heel Raise
Stand straight and hold a chair to get support. Lift the heels and rise on your toes. Maintain this pose for three seconds and then gradually lower the heels. Do two to three sets of ten reps. If it is too difficult for you, do the exercise while sitting.
6. Sit to Stand
Sit on a chair, keeping your back straight and feet on the ground. Stand up by placing your weight on the leg muscles. Slowly lower down to sit by bending the knees. Also try by keeping your arms at your sides or crossed.
7. Other Exercises
Carry out other exercises that fortify your knees such as walking, water aerobics, swimming and biking. You can also play outdoor sports like golf, but consult your doctor before starting it.
Watch the following video to find out more knee strengthening exercises.