Best knee exercisesKnee strengthening & flexibility exercisesEasy to do knee exercises below with descriptions & pictures, to keep knees strong & healthy or rehab problem knees. Other pages on exercises for knee will be up in the nest few weeks. For more applicable topics, look through our navigation tab for pages on weight loss, aerobic, strength training, stretching, medicine ball exercise & bodyweight exercises, yoga, pilates, all relevant to knee health & integrity. The knee is the most susceptible body part to injury. Nearly 50 million Americans have knee problems, either from athletic injuries or everyday wear and tear. The knee depends on surrounding muscles to work properly. The quadriceps extend the knee; the hamstrings & calf muscles flex the knee. Hip abductors, located on the outside of the leg, and the hip adductors, located on the inside of the thigh, provide further strength and stability to the knee. If you want to maintain good knee health… Strengthen the muscles around the knees & increase the flexibility of motion. Knee strengthening exercises with some flexibility movements will do the trick. Participate or develop an exercise program that will help strengthen the muscles around the knees, increase the joints' range of motion and build up endurance. The goals of these exercises are both reparative and preventative. To keep joints strong, you also need to exercise for endurance which increases your overall strength and improves your stamina. This allows your muscles to handle more stress. Swimming, cycling, rowing are some of the activities that can help you build up your endurance without putting too much pressure on your knees. Just remember to do knee flexibility exercises as often as strengthening exercises for knee. You can do exercises for the knees 2 - 3 times weekly. If you feel any pain during an exercise stop immediately. For exercises that call for weights, start with one or two pounds and slowly progress from there. If you are rehabilitating an injured knee… Perform the exercises below slowly, steadily, regularly. It's best to exercise your joints twice a day regularly for five days a week. As you improve, you can cut back on sessions of exercises for knee while increasing intensity like sets, reps, weight. Again, if you feel any pain during an exercise stop immediately. For exercises that call for weights, start with one or two pounds and slowly progress from there. 9 Exercises 2 strengthen, stretch kneesKnee exercises 1. Quadriceps strengthening: isometricsPosition yourself as shown above. Hold your right leg straight for 10 to 20 seconds and then relax. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times.
Knee exercises 2. Quadriceps strengthening: straight leg lift Position yourself as shown above. Raise your right leg several inches, and hold it up for 5 to 10 seconds. Then lower your leg to the floor slowly over a few seconds. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times.
Knee exercises 3. Iliotibial band and buttock stretch (right side shown) Position yourself as shown above. Twist your trunk to the right and use your left arm to "push" your right leg. You should feel the stretch in your right buttock and the outer part of your right thigh. Hold the stretch for 10 to 20 seconds. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times.
Knee exercises 4. Iliotibial band stretch (left side shown). Position yourself as shown above, with your right leg crossed in front of your left leg. Hold your hands together and move them toward the floor. You should feel a stretch in the outer part of your left thigh. Hold the stretch for 10 to 20 seconds. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times.
Knee exercises 5. Hamstring stretch Position yourself as shown in the left-hand drawing above. Bend your left knee. Grip your thigh with your hands to keep the thigh steady. Straighten your left leg in the air until you feel a stretch. Hold the stretch for 5 to 10 seconds. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times.
Knee exercises 6. Hip adductor strengthening While sitting, squeeze a rubber ball between your knees. Hold the squeeze for 5 to 10 seconds. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times. (If you don't have a ball, put your hands or fists between your knees and then squeeze.)
Knee exercises 7. Hip abductor strengthening (left side shown, front and side views) Position yourself as shown above, standing on your left leg with the knee slightly bent. Slowly raise your right foot about 30 degrees, hold for a few seconds, and then slowly lower the foot and straighten both legs. Do the exercise 10 times. Don't let your pelvis tilt (be crooked), and don't let your knees turn inward during bending.
Knee exercises 8. Hip and buttock stretch (left side shown). Position yourself as shown above, with your left leg over your right leg, and place your hands over your left knee. Pull the knee slightly toward you while sitting up straight. Hold the position for 20 seconds, and then rest for several seconds. Do the exercise 6 times.
Knee exercises 9. Calf stretch Position yourself against a wall as shown above. Keep your left heel on the ground to feel the back of the leg stretch. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds. Do the exercise 6 to 10 times.
LINKS (Some other links to helpful pages on exercise for the knees.) If you liked our page on knee exercises & want to get our helpful info every month, subscribe to our free monthly newsletter: HEALTHY WORLD DIGEST You'll receive anywhere from 5 - 10 healthy “nuggets” of information to get you feeling & looking your best. Just fill in our brief eZine subscription form & start to take charge of your life easily, today, right now. We promise. Click 2 go from knee exercises 2 Home |
