How Can I Keep My Knees Healthy And Strong
8 Ways to Keep Your Knees Healthy as You Age Strengthen your upper and lower leg muscles. Stretch those same leg muscles to support your full range of motion. Maintain a recommended weight. Choose low-impact exercises to protect the cartilage in your knees. See a medical provider right away if you have a swollen knee.
How To Do The Tke Like A Pro
When performing the TKE exercise, be sure to move in a slow and steady fashion. Be sure your knee moves directly over your toes it should not deviate from the plane of motion over your toes. Doing so can place excessive strain on your knee.
You can make the TKE more challenging by placing a small foam pad underneath your stance foot. You can also make this a balance exercise by doing it while standing only on one foot.
How Does Physical Therapy Treat Pain
Physical therapists are experts not only in treating pain, but also its source. Yours will look for areas of weakness or stiffness that may be adding stress to the places that hurt. And they will treat those areas with certain exercises to ease pain and help you move better.
In a physical therapy session, you may do a mix of:
Low-impact aerobic training. These workouts will rev up your heart rate and still take it easy on your joints. For instance, you might walk fast or use a stationary bike to warm up, instead of running, before you do your strengthening exercises.
Strengthening exercises. You might use machines at your physical therapistâs office, resistance bands, or your own body weight . You may work on your core muscles , as well as other parts of your body.
Pain relief exercises. These moves target areas where you have pain, so you’re stronger and more flexible — which should make it easier to live your life.
Stretching. This will be gentle, and your therapist will make sure that you’re warmed up and you donât stretch too far.
Your physical therapist may prescribe exercises for you to do at home.
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Weak Knees Or Something Else
Knees are something most of us dont really think about until we start to have issues with them.
Since the knee joint is one of the large joints of the lower body alongside the hip joint and the ankle joint, it has to handle enormous amounts of stress and forces.
Our legs are a marvel of nature when you think about what they are capable of. The positions they can reach, the force they can produce and the endurance they can sustain when trekking long distances.
All that comes with a price. Since the muscles around the knee and hip joints are the strongest muscles in the human body, the joints have to handle huge amounts of stress.
Just like a mechanical joint, there is also a need for lubrication, otherwise, friction will lead to reduced performance and wear. And just like the mechanical joint in a machine, rust and debris can build up, causing the joint to malfunction.
These are simple metaphors of several ailments of the knee that can cause pain, lack of mobility, and severely reduced performance.
These include injuries like ruptured ligaments and torn cartilage and medical conditions like arthritis, gout, and even infections. There are many things that can go wrong within the joint, some more serious than others.
The common thing with many of these ailments is that they might not respond well to strengthening the muscles and ligaments around the knee joint. This is why its very important to get a proper diagnosis before trying to treat knee pain on your own.
How To Strengthen Your Knees And Ankles
When you play sports or hit the gym, your knees and ankles are some of the most vulnerable areas of your body. Running hard, making quick cuts, lefting big, and using explosive movements can weaken these key joints and increase the likelihood of injuries.
Work these knee and ankle-strengthening moves into your training and youll find a great way to decrease your risk of injuryno matter what your workout entails.
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How Do I Start Exercising
Your doctor or physical therapist will tell you which exercises are right for you.
Start slowly. Building muscle strength takes time. As you get stronger, gradually increase the number of exercise repetitions or add weight to an exercise.
Do not ignore pain. You should not feel serious pain during an exercise. You might feel discomfort because you are challenging your muscles, but not pain. If an exercise hurts, stop the exercise.
Do not overdo it. You should not feel serious pain after exercise. It is typical to feel stiff or a bit sore the day after you exercise. If you feel so sore that it is difficult to move, then you have overdone your exercise. Rest is the best thing for your sore muscles.
Ask questions. Talk to your doctor or therapist if you have any pain or are unsure of how many exercises to do, or how often to do them.
How Exercises Can Benefit Your Knee Joints
Leading health organizations, such as the Arthritis Foundation, have found that exercise is one of the most effective ways to treat osteoarthritis.
This can sometimes even eliminate the need for surgery on your joints. Keeping your muscles in good condition, strong and flexible, you can avoid injury altogether.
These knee strengthening exercises are not tailored to attend to the joint directly. They are used to strengthen the muscles that surround them to provide good support for your joints.
The support given by these surrounding muscles will help to withstand the everyday pressure and strain on your knees. It can help with pain and keep you active.
The strengthening exercises for knee below will help to strengthen the muscles that surround the joint. If you experience pain during these exercises then you should stop immediately and consult with your doctor.
If you have severe knee pain then you should, of course, speak with your doctor or physical therapist for medical advice before trying these exercises.
You will need to stretch and warm-up before attempting any exercise to strengthen knees. These gentle exercises include walking, cycling, and the use of the elliptical machine. These put minimal stress on the knee.
They will increase blood flow to the muscles and help them to become more flexible.
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Whats Behind Your Knee Pain
It may be a bit complicated looking at the knee anatomy and all but its also crucial for understanding the source of most cases of knee pain. Of course, were not talking about traumatic knee injuries at the moment, just the pain that occurs during or after a workout. For better understanding, its best to know something about the knee parts. The knee is built so it can bend and straighten. So it would be best if all the excessive rotation of the knees was avoided, but of course, thats not entirely possible. Fortunately, in the knee itself, there are parts that stabilize it during sliding, rotation or side to side movement. They are called ligaments and menisci.
Their function is slightly different: ligaments stabilize the joint and menisci cushion it and absorb the forces that impact it. Then theres a kneecap that improves the leverage of the quadriceps muscles and increases the amount of force they can generate on the tibia . Then theres a whole bunch of muscles that are interacting with the knee. Ill spare you most of the knee muscles names as theyre a mouthful and stick just to thigh muscles: quadriceps and hamstrings and calf muscles gastrocnemius and soleus. And there are also tendons called pes anserine. And thats it knee anatomy in a shell.
Strengthens Legs And Lower Body Muscles
Riding a stationary bike can help build strength in your legs and lower body, especially if you use a higher resistance.
The pedaling action can help strengthen your calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Additionally, it can work the muscles in your core, back, and glutes.
If you use a bicycle with handles, youll also be able to work your upper body muscles, including your biceps, triceps, and shoulders.
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What Is The Best Exercise For Weak Knees
Straight Leg Raises. If your knees not at its best, start with a simple strengthening exercise for your quadriceps, the muscles in the front of the thigh. Hamstring Curls. These are the muscles along the back of your thigh. Prone Straight Leg Raises. Wall Squats. Calf Raises. Step-Ups. Side Leg Raises. Leg Presses.
What Else Can Help With Knee Pain
Finding relief from knee pain depends on the cause or issue thats making it difficult for you to go about your daily activities. Carrying excess weight puts extra stress on your knees, which may lead to osteoarthritis.
In this case, the most effective treatment, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is weight loss. Your doctor may recommend a combination of diet and exercise to help you lose weight and strengthen the muscles in your lower body, especially around your knees.
A 2013 study found that adults with overweight and knee osteoarthritis experienced a reduction in weight and knee pain after 18 months of a diet and exercise program.
But if overuse is the culprit, your doctor will likely suggest RICE which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation and physical therapy. A physical therapist can work with you to develop a program that includes range of motion exercises, stretches, and muscle strengthening movements.
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How To Do It:
Loop one end of a band around a sturdy base and the other around your ankle. Drop into staggered stance, with the banded leg in front of the non banded leg. Inch out until you feel tension and then drive the knee forward as far as you comfortably can. Keep the banded foot firmly on the ground Feel free to rotate the ankle side to side as you drive the knee back and forth. Repeat on both sides for 45 seconds each.
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Causes Of Knee Sprains
Any activity that forces your knee out of its natural position can cause a sprain.
The ACL is often injured when you play a running or contact sport like soccer, basketball, football, or gymnastics, usually as a result of jumping or twisting suddenly.
It can also occur if you over-straighten your knee to an extreme degree or if you get struck by something in the knee or lower leg.
The PCL can be injured in a car collision when your knee hits the dashboard, or in a sport where the front of your knee is hit while its bent. Falling hard on your knee can also cause a PCL sprain.
You can sprain your LCL if you receive a blow to the inside of your knee. This is less common than the other types of sprains because your other leg protects this area.
An MCL sprain is usually caused by something hitting your leg from the side, or a fall that causes your lower leg to twist outward from your thigh.
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Exercise : Heel And Calf Raises
Stand barefoot on a 2 inch board or aerobic step. Place the toes and balls of your feet on the board, with your heels on the floor. Make sure your body is balanced you can hold onto a support such as the wall or another stabilizing surface. Raise vertically up as high as possible onto your toes and slowly lower down. Do 10 repetitions and 2-3 sets, as needed.
A great variation of this exercise is to to turn your toes inward and raise up vertically. This isolates and strengthens the inner part of your calf muscles. Then try turning your toes out and bring your heels close together, and raise up vertically. This will isolate the outer portion of the calves.
This is a fantastic exercise that will benefit both your knees and your ankles at the same time.
What Is The Quad Muscle
The quad is attached to the kneecap , which, in turn connects to the shin bone . There are four distinct muscles that make up the quadriceps muscles. These muscles, on the front of your thigh, are called the vastus intermedius, the vastus medialis, the vastus lateralis and the rectus femoris.
When your quads contract they straighten the knee and extend your leg. Since they extend over the kneecap they also help to keep your kneecap in its proper position.
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Healing Exercises For Knee Pain
The knee, made up of bones, tendons, cartilage, and ligaments, is the largest joint in the body. It can also be the source of a lot of discomfort.
A lot of people wonder if its a good idea to exercise if they have knee pain. They think it might put unnecessary stress on their knees. The truth is, not exercising could lead to more pain and weaker knees.
These exercises for knee pain will put you on the path to recovery! So give a few of them a try!
Living with chronic knee pain is difficult. If youve done the exercises and are thinking about the next steps you want to take on your journey to recovery, consider consulting a professional.
Quick Ways To Protect And Strengthen Your Knees
Strengthen your knees to save them from further damage with these easy-to-implement daily habits. You will need a light free weight and a yoga mat.
Do your knees need nurturing? As I watch my toddler teeter and tumble to the floor while learning to walk, I cant help but think how nice it must be to have brand-new knees.
Throughout our youth, we engage in many activities that are rough on our knees without ever realizing how critical this joint is to our mobility. And, luckily, there were copious amounts of cushiony cartilage bearing the brunt of our high-impact, knee-knocking ways.
As the largest, strongest joint in the body, the knees enable you to perform everyday movements from sitting to standing, to jumping, bending, and walking. But as the body matures, years of wear and tear cause bothersome aches and pains, making us increasingly aware of this sensitive joints fragility. So its important to do everything possible to protect your knees as you age.
Strengthen your knees to save them from further damage with these easy-to-implement daily habits. You will need a light free weight and a yoga mat.
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Mini Band Lateral Walks
Client begins with a mini band around the thighs located above the knee. In a quarter squat position and feet separated a foot apart, have them walk laterally. Ensure your client looks ahead, keeps feet aligned and toes pointed forward remaining in a squat position for the entire set. Choose a band that provides appropriate resistance for your client to perform the walks without the band overcoming their strength. This can be the case if the client’s knees are caving inward when doing the exercise.
The Purpose Of The Kneecap
Next up: the kneecap . This is an intermediary structure, which helps to connect the quadriceps muscles to the tibia through their respective tendons. The patella improves the leverage of the quadriceps muscles and increases the amount of force they can generate on the tibia.
Unfortunately, when movement at the patella is not optimal there can be irritations to the underside of the bone and at the patellar tendon.
This is the common source of the complaint of crunchy knees and, of course, the very prevalent pinpoint pain of patellar tendinitis, the bane of runners everywhere. And more specifically the attachment site at the tibia is also a source of pain in what people call the jumpers knee in both young kids and old fogey weekend warriors.
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How Can I Make My Knees Stronger Exercise
Workouts for bad knees generally focus on several goals:
- To make the joint more flexible
- To stabilize the joint
- To strengthen knee ligaments, muscles, and tendons that control joint movement
- To decrease inflammation and pain
- To reduce the risk of future injuries and falls
If youve got weak knees, here are four knee strengthening exercises you can do starting today to keep your knees healthy.
1. Straight leg lifts
Most people with weak knees also have weak quadriceps . Straight leg lifts help tone those quads, and the exercise is simple to do. Lying flat on your back, bend one knee and put that foot flat on the floor. Keep the other leg straight. Raise the straight leg to the height of the bent knee and hold it for a few seconds. Then gently lower and repeat 10 times on each side. Aim for three sets.
2. Backwards leg lifts
These lifts are similar to the lifts just described, but this time, you lie on your tummy and both legs are straight. To do this exercise, contract the muscles in your butt and one leg and raise that leg toward the ceiling. Hold the position for a few seconds, then slowly lower your leg to the floor. Repeat 10 times, then switch sides.
3. Calf raises
For this, you need a chair or other surface to hold onto and support yourself. Slowly raise your feet up onto your toes so your heels are off the floor. Raise as high as you can, hold for a few seconds, then lower yourself back to the starting position. Once again, aim for three sets of 10 to 15 reps.