Knee pain strengthening exercises should focus on strengthening the muscles that attach to and cross the knee joint. Strengthening these muscles around the knee, as well as hip and ankle muscles, will help keep the knee strong to relieve knee pain and reduce knee injury.
These are my top 10 favorite knee exercises.
Bridging is a great way to strengthen you hamstrings, glutes, and core. The clamshell also does an excellent job of strengthening the glutes and core. It also helps strengthen the IT band area.
Even thought the name is seated hip flexion, strengthening the hip flexors are also very important for knee strength. When these muscles are strong and working correctly, it will help make the knee strong as well.
Seated knee extension or long arc quads help strengthening the quad muscles. The quads are important because they not only help with knee extension, but they also help with proper tracking of the kneecap (patella).
Squats, lunges, and step ups are a little more challenging, but they strengthening almost all the muscles in the hip, knee, and lower leg.
Balance is also very important for strengthening the knee. Balance exercises focus on the smaller stabilizer muscles, and strong knee muscles and good balance go together.
A 4-way hip strengthens your hip flexors, hip extensors, hip abductors, and hip adductors. Don’t be fooled by the name “hip.” They are important for strengthening the knee muscles as well.
Finally, heel raises strengthen the calf muscles, and they cross over the knee joint.
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