Knee pain is the most common of joint pain, affecting nearly 50 million Americans at some point in their lives. Waking up in the morning can come with stiff knees for people suffering with knee pain, and simple activities such as stooping or bending can become a chore. It’s no wonder why knees are the most commonly injured joints, as they experience four times the average person’s body weight when doing something as simple as walking up stairs.
Current knee pain can be alleviated by strengthening the muscles around the knee: hamstrings (back of thigh), quadriceps (front of thigh), abductor (outside thigh) and adductor (inside thigh). If pain relief is what you seek and you would like to strengthen your knees without having to invest in expensive equipment, try these effective, inexpensive and simple exercises that can be done right at home.
1. Straight Leg Raises
You will need two chairs for this exercise. While sitting in one chair, rest your foot on the other chair. While keeping the leg straight, lift the foot a few inches off the chair and hold for 5-10 seconds. Return to resting position and repeat the movement 10 times increasing the amount of time you hold the leg suspended in the air. Repeat the same motions on the opposite leg.
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2. Abductor Raise
A yoga mat or a padded mat would be ideal to use with this exercise. Lie on your side while propped up on one elbow. With the leg touching the floor bent and the outer leg held straight, slowly lift the top leg and hold it for 5-10 seconds before lowering it back down. Do 1-3 sets of 12 reps before switching to the opposite leg to repeat the same motion. Make sure to take breaks in between.
3. Stationary Bike
Riding a stationary bike is the best way to get a good range of motion in the knees and to…
… strengthen the muscles around them as well. Having the right positioning of the legs is key. At the bottom of the pedal stroke, the bend in the knee should be 15 degrees. Starting with 10 minutes of biking is recommended, increasing the time as you go along.
READ: Bent Out Of Shape: How To Protect Your Knees
4. Step Ups
For this exercise you will need a sturdy step that is at least two feet high. Step up onto the support and straighten the knees fully without locking and then step back down. Maintain a steady pace while pumping the arms as you go up and down the step and repeat this motion for 1 minute. Slowly build up the time of activity as you go along.
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