You must not ignore knee pain. Resting and icing can work. However, after taking your doctor’s permission, you must start knee strengthening exercises to heal your knee faster. Read on to learn more about the knee strengthening exercises that are best for you, how you can perform these exercises, and the precautions you must take.
20 Safe Knee Strengthening Exercises
Since your knee is supported by muscles, cartilagei XA flexible connective tissue that differs from a bone in several ways and protects your bones and joints. , bones, ligaments, and fluids, you need to work on your quadriceps (front of your thighs), hamstrings (back of your thighs), shins (front of your legs), calves (back of your legs) and glutes (hip muscles) and do knee balancing and muscle relaxing exercises to help heal your knees. First, start by warming up. Here’s what you should do.
Warm Up
This is the most important step and should never be avoided before any workout routine, especially if you are trying to recover from an injury. Not warming up can aggravate the injury. Check this video about 1 minute warm-up for treating knee pain.
Now, let’s start doing the knee pain reducing exercises.
1. Quad Clenches (Static Quads)
Target
As the name suggests, quad clenches target your quadriceps (muscles found in the front of your thighs). This exercise is perfect for the initial stages of injury recovery.
Starting Position
Lie flat on your back with the legs and knees straight.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this 10-20 times, every 3-4 hours.
Variation
If your knees hurt and you cannot straighten them fully, keep a rolled towel underneath your ankles to raise your legs slightly up. Do the exercise gently and slowly.
Precaution
Do not forcefully straighten your legs and avoid overdoing this exercise.
2. Knee Marching
Target
This exercise is also good during the initial stages of recovery. It helps to strengthen the quadriceps without putting any stress on the knee.
Starting Position
Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the ground.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this for a minute, twice a day.
Variation
As you recover from about 80% of your injury, you can add weights and do this exercise.
Precaution
Do not stomp your feet.
3. Straight Leg Raise
Target
The straight leg raise helps strengthen the quadriceps without putting weight on your knees.
Starting Position
Lie flat on your back. Keep one leg straight, bend the other leg and put your foot flat on the ground.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Repeat 10-20 times, twice a day.
Variation
As your knee gets better, you can wear your training shoes to add weight to the exercise.
Precaution
Keep your knee straight when you raise the leg up. Avoid this exercise if you have back injury or back pain.
4. Long Arcs (Dynamic Quads)
Target
Long arcs do not allow your knees to become stiff when you sit for more than 30 minutes at a stretch. They strengthen your quadriceps and improve knee flexibility.
Starting Position
Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this 10-20, times twice a day.
Variation
When your knees are about 80% recovered, you can add ankle weights.
Precaution
Do not keep your legs straight for too long, especially if the injury is recent.
5. Short Arcs (VMO Strengthening)
Target
Short arcs help improve knee strength and mobility. They also strengthen the quadriceps. Short arcs directly work on the vastus medialisi XThe innermost of the four quadriceps muscles (group of muscles at the front of the thigh) that extends to the knee. oblique muscles that help to control the position of the knee caps (patella).
Starting Position
Lie flat on your back and place a rolled towel underneath your knee.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this 10-20 times, twice a day.
Variation
You can do this exercise by lying flat on your back or adding ankle weights.
Precaution
Do not keep your leg up for more than 5 seconds as it may aggravate the injury.
6. Quadricep Stretch
Target
As the name suggests, this exercise targets your quadriceps. The quadricep stretch is also known as the kick back. It strengthens and relaxes the quadriceps, which ultimately helps strengthen your knees.
Starting Position
Hold a chair and stand right behind it.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this 10 times, twice a day.
Variation
Instead of a chair, you can hold on to the wall.
Precaution
Do not overstretch and twist your body when you do the quadriceps stretch.
7. Hamstring Clenches
Target
The hamstrings are the muscles found at the back of your thighs. Since the hamstrings also help in knee and leg movement, strengthening them would take the load off the knees. This exercise will make your hamstrings strong and absorb the shock when you walk, run, or workout, causing less stress on the knee.
Starting Position
Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor, and your heels against the leg of the chair.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
You can do this exercise 10-20 times, twice a day.
Variation
There are no variations for this exercise.
Precaution
Do not move your feet while doing this exercise.
8. Hamstring Stretch
Target
The hamstring stretch is stress-relieving and helps to strengthen the ligaments at the back of your knee and the hamstrings.
Starting Position
Sit down on the floor with your hands and legs extended, and your palms facing the floor.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this 5-10 times, twice a day.
Variation
You can do this exercise standing up, but you need not touch your toes with your fingertips. Stop when you feel the stretch.
Precaution
Do not lock your knees or try to touch your nose to your knees.
9. Hamstring Curls
Target
Hamstring curls are similar to quadriceps stretch, but this exercise will strengthen your hamstrings instead of the quads. It also improves knee mobility.
Starting Position
Hold a chair and stand straight with your foot flat on the floor.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this 10-20 times, twice a day.
Variation
You can add ankle weight to the supporting leg.
Precaution
Do not bring your legs beyond 90 degrees or lock your knees.
10. Buttock Clenches (Glutes Isometric Exercise)
Target
Buttock clenches help strengthen your glutes or buttock muscles without moving the knees.
Starting Position
Lie down flat on your back with the legs straight, shoulders relaxed, and toes neutral.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
You can do this 20 times, twice a day.
Variation
You may do the buttock clenches sitting on a chair.
Precaution
Do not move your body while you are doing this exercise.
11. Buttock Kicks
Target
This fun exercise helps to strengthen the knees without putting any stress on them. It helps to improve circulation and flexibility of the knees.
Starting Position
Lie flat on your tummy with the legs extended, toes flexed and touching the floor to support the legs, yours arms folded, and the palms underneath your chin.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this 10 times, thrice a day.
Variation
You can add ankle weights after a week of doing this exercise.
Precaution
If you have a recent knee injury, place a soft towel underneath your knees.
12. Calf Raise
Target
The calf muscles are found at the back of your shin bone from the knees to your ankles. Like the quads and the hamstrings, the calf muscles also help absorb the shock when you walk, run, and workout. So, to strengthen your knees, you need to strengthen and relax your calf muscles.
Starting Position
Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. If you want, you can hold the back of a chair for support.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
You can do this 10-20 times, twice a day.
Variation
You can sit on a chair and do this exercise.
Precaution
Do not over strain or overexercise.
13. Single Leg Dip
Target
The single leg dip targets the glutes, hamstrings, and quads. It strengthens these muscles, thereby strengthening the knees.
Starting Position
Sit on the floor with your knees flexed, feet flat on the floor. Support your upper body by placing your hands behind you, palms flat on the floor.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
You can do this 10-15 times, once a day.
Variation
You can do the same exercise by supporting your upper body on a low-rise platform.
Precaution
Do not hold for too long or overstress yourself to do this exercise.
14. Knee Stabilization
Target
Knee stabilization is a great way to strengthen your knees. It works on your outer and inner thighs, glutes, and hamstrings.
Starting Position
Hold a chair and stand right behind it with your feet flat on the floor.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this 10 times, twice a day.
Variation
You can hold a wall instead of a chair for support and move your legs in a circular motion, keeping your legs straight.
Precaution
Do not slouch or arch back while doing the exercise.
15. Wall Squat
Target
Squatting right can help improve your knee strength and also reduce knee pain. Wall squats are the best to strengthen your knees as they work on all the muscles that are attached to the knee and help improve knee flexibility.
Starting Position
Position yourself against a wall, with your feet shoulder-width apart, and feet flat on the floor.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this 10 times, twice a day.
Variation
If you feel comfortable enough, you can do this exercise without the support of a wall.
Precaution
Do not squat incorrectly, slouch, or arch back to prevent injuring your knees.
16. Amosov Squat
Target
If you have suffered a recent knee injury, the Amosov squat can be really helpful in strengthening your knees. In fact, it helps heal patellar tendonitisi XA condition characterized by inflammation of the fibrous cords that attach your muscles to bones. faster. You place your weight on an immobile object and squat. This helps strengthen your quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes.
Starting Position
Hold a sturdy immobile object with your feet flat on the floor and a little more apart than the width of your hips.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this 10-20 times, twice a day.
Variation
There is no variation to this exercise.
Precaution
Lower your body cautiously and slowly to avoid knee injury.
17. Soleus Dynamic Squat Stretch
Target
This exercise is similar to the Amosov squat, and it helps improve the flexibility of the knees and strengthen the supporting muscles and ligaments.
Starting Position
Hold a sturdy waist-high object with the legs hips-width apart and feet flat on the floor.
Steps To Do
Flex your knees and slowly lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold for 2 seconds and gently rise to the starting position.
Repetitions
Do this 10-20 times, twice a day.
Variation
No variations to this exercise.
Precaution
Do not raise your legs on your toes. Keep your heels fixed to the ground.
18. The Bridge
Target
This exercise works on the hamstrings, quads, and glutes. The bridge is an excellent exercise to strengthen your knees.
Starting Position
Lie down on your back with your knees bent, arms on the side, palms facing down, and feet flat on the floor.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this 10-20 times, twice a day.
Variation
You can hold 2-pound dumbbells and place your hands on your tummy and do this exercise.
Precaution
Keep your back straight when you do this exercise.
19. Lunges
Target
Lunges work your quads, hamstrings, glutes, inner thighs, and calves. The strength of these muscles decides the strength of the knees. The stronger they are, the more shock they will absorb, thereby preventing knee injury and pain.
Starting Position
Stand straight with your legs hips-width apart, and hands resting on your waist.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this 10-20 times, 2-3 times a day.
Variation
You can hold 2-pound weights in both your hands and do this exercise after two weeks of knee strengthening exercises.
Precaution
Do not do this exercise hastily. Also, avoid doing explosive lunges if your knee injury is recent.
20. Foam Roller Exercises
Target
Foam roller exercises are a great way to massage and relax your tight, inflamed, and contracted muscles. They are the best when it comes to treating mild knee injuries.
Starting Position
Sit on the floor with your legs extended, hands behind your back, and palms flat on the floor. Keep a foam roller underneath your thighs.
Steps To Do
Repetitions
Do this series 5-10 times, twice a day.
Variation
No variations.
Precaution
Make sure not to over massage your body as that can aggravate the injury and inflammation. Click here to understand how to relieve full body pain with foam roller exercises. Why do my knees crack when I squat? It is because of the body weight pressure. It is normal if not associated with pain or swelling. What are weak knees a symptom of? Weak knees could indiacate athritis, sprain, strain, torn ligamets, or injuries. Does walking strengthen your knees? Yes, walking is a low-impact exercise that helps strengthen your knees and improve their range of motion. What exercises should I avoid with knee pain? You should avoid high-impact exercises and movements as in jumping, running, or kickboxing. Also, avoid any exercise and activity that puts too much pressure and stress on your knees.
