Easy Knee Exercises Bring Relief

Knee Exercises

Nothing is more frustrating when you start an exercise routine than to not be able to keep up with it because of knee pain. The knee is a relatively delicate joint that sustains a significant amount of stress when walking and jogging. By utilizing a few simple knee exercises, you can strengthen your knees and help prevent injuries.

The knee is a joint that is mainly supported by the surrounding muscles. If these muscles are strong and flexible, the knee will be properly supported and more resistant to injury. The main muscles that control and support the knee are the quadriceps and the hamstrings. The quads are located in the front of the thigh and cause the knee to straighten when tightened. The hamstrings are located on the back of the thigh and cause the knee to bend when tightened.

Flexibility is achieved through stretching exercises. These exercises should never be performed on cold muscles. Be sure to walk around a bit to get the blood flowing through the muscle fibers. Muscles fibers that are not properly warmed up are more likely tear when being stretched. Stretches should be slow, controlled movements that don’t go too far, as overstretching can cause muscle damage. Stretching exercises can be performed daily.

The quadriceps muscles are stretched by bending your knee, keeping your hip straight. You can either hold your foot behind you or rest it on a short stool. The hamstring muscles can be stretched by extending your leg in front of you and bending at the waist. With both stretches, hold the stretch so you feel the pull, but are still comfortable. Hold each stretch steady and for about 10 seconds.

Strengthening exercises need to be done gradually. Muscles build up strength when microscopic tears happen in the muscle fibers. As these tears heal, the muscle becomes thicker and stronger. Because of these tears, muscles need time to recover between strengthening exercises. Doing strengthening exercises 3-4 times a week, with at least one day in between, is enough to strengthen the muscles without causing damage.

The resistance that is needed for strengthening exercises can either be provided by free weights or by using your body as a weight. With ankle weights strapped to your ankle, the quadriceps muscles are strengthened by bending and straightening your knee while seated. Lie on your stomach and repeat the same movement to strengthen the hamstring muscles. You can use your body weight by leaning against the wall and bending your knees into a squatting position. Hold for a few seconds and then straighten again. This exercise will work both the quadriceps and hamstring muscles.

Be sure to pay attention to your pain. Our bodies use pain to communicate with us when something is wrong. The old adage of “no pain, no gain” is not true. Even with simple stretching and strengthening exercises it is possible to cause injury.

Knees that are strong and flexible are less likely to be injured than tight and weak knees. Doing simple exercises to keep your muscles strong and flexible, can decrease your chances of causing injury during your regular exercise program and help keep you moving.

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