Best Exercises And Stretches To Help Decrease Knee Pain
Knee pain is one of the most common conditions that people deal with as they age. It can be caused by a variety of factors like heavy physical activity, inactivity, injuries, sitting in a constrained area, or sitting on knees for a prolonged period. Thankfully, by strengthening your knees, you can save yourself from dealing with joint pain and discomfort. These are research-backed exercises proven to reduce pain and improve your ability to participate in the activities you love! All exercises are accompanied by how-to GIFs from Mighty Health, a health and wellness app for people over 50.
Stretches
Knee stretches are key to providing relief. The stretches loosen the muscles surrounding your knee, reducing pressure on the joint. Stretching is just as important as strengthening: According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, stretching your knee area as you strengthen helps improve your range of motion and can prevent injury.
1. Heel and Calf Stretch
This stretch targets the muscles in your lower leg, specifically your calf muscles.
To do this stretch:
Stand facing a wall.
Place your hands on the wall and move one foot back as far as you can comfortably. Toes on both feet should be facing forward, heels flat, with a slight bend in your knees.
Lean into the stretch and hold for 30 seconds. You should feel the stretch in your back leg.
Change legs and repeat.
Do this stretch twice for both legs.
2. Hamstring Stretch
Sitting at the edge of your chair, straighten one leg out in front of your body with your heel on the floor and your toes pointed towards the ceiling.
Then, sit up straight and try pushing your navel towards your thigh without leaning the trunk of your body forwards.
Repeat 3 times for each leg.
Strengthening
Knee strengthening exercises build muscles around your knee to improve joint stability and support. Start out with these exercises: as you get stronger, gradually increase the number of repetitions or add weight. You shouldn't feel any pain in the knee during these workouts outside of moderate discomfort from challenging your muscles. If you feel pain, stop the workout immediately.
1. Clamshell
Lie on one side with your legs stacked and knees bent at a 45-degree angle.
From here, keeping your hips steady and your top foot down, lift only your top knee as high as you comfortably can. Your legs should mimic a clam opening.
Pause, then slowly lower your knee to return to the starting position. That’s one rep.
Aim for 15 to 20 reps per side.
2. Squats
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, firmly planted on the ground.
Slowly bend the knees as if sitting back into a chair, keeping the back straight and the abdominals engaged. The knees should not go forward beyond the toes.
Arms may be raised forward to help with balance. As you advance, hold a dumbbell to make the exercise more challenging.
3. Up and Downs
Grab a firm, armless chair.
Sit in the chair with your feet flat on the floor and your arms crossed or loose at your sides, whichever feels more balanced.
Slowly stand up, using controlled movements, until you reach your full height.
Hold for a few seconds, and then slowly sit down again. Repeat for about a minute
4. Calf Raises
Stand facing the back of your chair.
Slowly raise your heels as high as you can, then lower.
Do 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
5. Knee Rolls
Lie on your back, bending your knees so your feet are flat on the floor.
Keep your arms at your side and your eyes on the ceiling.
Simultaneously, look towards the left and slowly lower both knees to the right (trying to keep your knees together) until you feel a gentle stretch in your thighs and lower back.
Hold this stretch for 5 seconds and then slowly lift your knees back to center. Repeat 10 times on each side, with short rests in between.
6. Straight Leg Lifts
For this exercise, you can use a chair to keep balance.
Grab onto the chair with one leg slightly bent and one leg straight out behind you.
Contract the quadricep of your straight leg and slowly bring it towards you until it’s the same height as your bent knee.
Pause at the center for 5 seconds, then return to the starting position
Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each leg.
Conclusion
Continue following these 8 exercises to build strength and flexibility in your knee! You should notice that as your knee gets stronger, and these exercises become easier, that your pain in knee decreases. Our Mighty Health app also provides a ton of fantastic knee exercises for you to continue defeating your pain. Try out a personal fitness and nutrition coach risk free with our 30 day money back guarantee.
