Do You Suffer from Knee Pain? Try These 7 Exercises
If your knees are giving you problems when
getting out of bed, you are not alone. Statistics show that nearly 50
million Americans feel the same way. In fact, knees are the most
commonly injured joints in the body - which shouldn't come as much of a
surprise, considering their everyday use, causing wear and tear. Simply
walking up the stairs, for example, puts pressure on the knee joints
equating to four times your body weight. But, it's never too late to
alleviate knee pain. Just as a rusty door hinge can revert to its
original glory with care and maintenance, your knees can be trouble free
too.
The key lies in exercising muscles
surrounding the knee joints - the quadriceps (front thigh muscle), the
hamstrings (back thigh muscles), the abductors (outside thigh muscles)
and the adductor (inside thigh muscles). Exercising the muscles around
your knee will keep them strong and less susceptible to injury.
Exercising often, will also help keep your joints from stiffening,
providing you with needed support, making movement easier and therefore
reducing pain.
The following, simple exercises will both help you stretch and
strengthen the knee area.
Straight-Leg Raise (Lying)
Here's How: Bend one leg at the knee, keeping the other leg straight.
Lift the foot just off the floor and hold it for a slow count of 5, then
lower. Repeat 5 times with each leg. For effective results, repeat this
exercise in the morning and at night. You may also do so in bed.
Step Ups
Here's How: Start at the bottom step of a
staircase. Lift your left foot up on the above stair. Bring it back by
your right foot. Then lower your right foot, bringing it back to
neutral. Repeat, this time raising your right foot to the above stair,
back to neutral, then lowering you left foot. Hold onto the banister if
necessary and continue to repeat this exercise until you tire.
Knee Squats
Here's How: Hold onto a chair. Squat down until your kneecap covers your
big toe. Return to standing. When you are first starting, complete 10
repetitions. Then, as you improve, try to squat a little further, just
be sure not to bend your knees beyond a right angle.
Leg Cross
Here's How: Sit on the edge of your bed. Cross your ankles over and push
your legs upwards, until your thigh muscles feel tense. Hold for 10
seconds, then relax. Switch your legs and repeat. Do 4 sets with each
leg.
Leg Stretch
Here's How: Sit on the floor, with your legs stretched out in front of
you. Slowly bend one knee, until you feel a comfortable stretch. Hold
for 5 seconds. Then straighten you leg as much as you can and hold for
another 5 seconds. Repeat this exercise 10 times for each leg.
Straight-Leg Raise (Sitting)
Here's How: Sit comfortably in a chair. Be aware of your posture.
Straighten and raise one leg. Hold for a slow count to 10, then slowly
lower your leg. Repeat 10 times with each leg. If over time you find
this easy, try the exercise with light weights on your ankles, toes
pointing towards you. Do this exercise every time you sit down.
Sit/Stands
Here's How: Sit on a chair. Without using your hands for support, stand
up, then sit back down. Ensure that each movement is slow and
controlled. Repeat this exercise for a total of 1 minute. Over time, as
you feel more comfortable, try to increase the number of sit/stands in 1
minute and try the exercise from a lower chair, or the bottom steps of a
staircase.