Exercises For Strengthening And Protecting Your Knees

The knee is the largest and most complex joint in your body. It needs to withstand a lot of pressure daily, making it prone to injury and pain.

Apart from various ailments like arthritis, your knees can wear out with time, making it important to take care of them early on. Knee strengthening exercises help you enjoy your daily activities with less pain and less risk of injury.

Let’s look at specific exercises that can help strengthen and protect your knees.

Why Should You Do Knee Strengthening Exercises

• Here are a few reasons why you should do knee strengthening exercises regularly. Knee strengthening exercises:
  • Strengthens the muscles that support your knee
  • Keeps your knees flexible\Helps relieve knee pain
  • Reduces risk of long-lasting impact after knee injury

Warm-Up Exercises Before Workout

It is important to warm up your body before starting any workout. Even with knee strengthening exercises, you need to prepare your body by warming up properly.

• Here is how exactly you can do this.
  • March on the spot for 3 minutes
  • Do 30 knee lifts in 30 seconds
  • Do 60 heel digs in 60 seconds
  • Knee bends – repeat 10 times
  • Do shoulder/ arm circles for 1 minute
  • Do squats for 30 seconds
• Warming up before workout:
  • Raises your body temperature by increasing blood flow to your body
  • Improves performance
  • Reduces risk of injury

Boost your energy levels before working out by consuming meal replacement shakes packed with nutrients, to keep you moving. Consuming these shakes before a workout also aids in muscle building.

You can also consume these shakes after working out, to help repair and rebuild your muscles after exercise.

Meal replacement shakes are convenient because they are ready-made and an excellent option if you don’t have time to prepare a healthy meal yourself. It’s safe to consume meal replacement shakes twice a day to gain the required nutrients.

Exercises To Strengthen And Protect Your Knees

Strength and flexibility go hand in hand, which you want for your knees. Doing proper exercises targeting your knees is important to maintain these factors. 

Here are 3 exercises that can help you maintain the strength and flexibility of your knees, thereby reducing the risk of injury and pain in your knees.

1 – Leg Lifts

This exercise focuses on the quadriceps and abdominal muscles.

• Lie down on your back on a yoga mat.
• Bend your right leg lightly and the knee and bring it close to your body. Your left leg should remain straight.
• Pull your abdominal muscles inward as if your belly button pulls down towards the floor.
• Slowly lift your leg with your toes pointed towards the ceiling. Make sure not to bend your knees. Stop when your leg is about 12 inches off floor level.
• Hold your left leg up for 5 seconds.
• Lower your leg back towards the floor, slowly and steadily.
• Repeat this exercise two more times with the same leg.
• Follow the above procedure for the other leg.

2 – Hamstring Curls

This exercise focuses on the hamstrings and buttock muscles.

• Stand straight with your knees about 1 to 2 inches apart. Hold on to something, like a chair, for balance.
• Slowly bend one knee behind your body, with your thighs aligned, lifting your heel off the floor. Do this until the knee bend is at a 90-degree angle. 
• Hold your bent leg for about 5 seconds and slowly move it towards the floor.
• Repeat this exercise two more times with the same leg.
• Follow the above procedure for the other leg.

3 – Step Exercises

The muscles involved in this exercise are the hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, and buttocks.

• Step on a stool with your right foot and allow your left foot to follow behind. The stool should not be taller than 6 inches.
• Hold up for 5 seconds by keeping your body weight on your right foot.
• Lower your left foot slowly and follow with your right foot.
• Do the same by switching legs and stepping up with your left foot.
• Repeat it.

Post-Exercise Muscle Stretching 

Just like you need to do warm-ups before starting any exercise, you should also do post-exercise muscle stretching after exercising any muscle group. The stretching of muscles helps reduce pain and injury and improves flexibility.

Let’s take a look at a few post-exercise muscle stretching activities.

Touch Your Toes

• Keep your feet together and slowly bend over at the hips, extending the arms downward. Remember not to lock your knees and keep your legs straight while doing this.
• Reach the top of your toes from your fingers and stay in this position for 30 seconds.

Quadricep Stretch

• Hold on to a chair and lift your foot behind your body and grab the ankle from your hand.
• Pull the heel close to your buttocks and remain in this position for 30 seconds. 
• Repeat with the other leg.

Hamstring Stretch

• Stand up with your feet slightly apart.
• Bend at the hip and stretch one leg in front of you. Remember to keep your back straight.
• Bend down as much as you can for 30 seconds.
• Stand back up straight, slow, and steady.
• Repeat this procedure with the other leg.

Tips To Protect Your Knees 

Injuries and accidents can occur even during exercise. If you don’t do the above exercises in the proper manner, it could show adverse results. Here are a few things to remember when you do exercises for your knees.

• Always warm-up before starting any exercise.
• Wear the correct type of shoe suitable for exercising, like athletic or general sports shoes.
• Don’t overly strain your muscles while exercising. Avoid doing anything that is causing you too much pain.
• Learn the correct technique of doing exercises before trying them out. You can check out videos of people doing exercises and learn the technique.

Conclusion

Doing exercises for strengthening and protecting your knees is a must, no matter what age you are. Knee exercises are not solely for those with pain and injury in the knees. Protection is better than cure, so it’s always better to start on these exercises early on.

Don’t forget to learn the correct technique of doing exercises and warming up before doing the same. If you follow the above exercises and tips, you will surely see positive results. 

FAQs

What Are The Causes For Weak Knee Joints?

Arthritis, torn cartilage or ligament, sprains, infection of the knee joints, and lack of physical exercise are all causes of weak knee joints.

What Types Of Food Makes Knees Stronger?

Food rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, nuts and seeds, olive oil, lentils and beans, whole grains, garlic, root vegetables, and bone broth all strengthen the knees.