6 Best Exercises for Knee Pain

Knee pain is one of the most common orthopedic problems. It can cause pain behind and around the kneecap, especially when doing activities like climbing stairs, squatting, running, or walking with a heavy load on the back. It can stop you from doing your favorite things and getting things done around the house. If you don't treat it right, it can last for years.

Knee pain can be due to many reasons, like knee stiffness, knee cap not being in the right place at rest or when moving, flat feet, poor exercise form, or weak muscles that control the hip and knee. It'sbest to consult a physical therapist who can advise you on your knee pain before you start any exercise plan.

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Best Exercises for Knee Pain

To ease knee pain, you need to do exercises that work many muscles, from the hip abductors to the hamstrings and quadriceps. You can choose how many exercises to do each time. Start slowly, and do fewer reps at first to make sure you have the right form before adding the reps.

On that note, here's a look at the six best exercises for knee pain:

1) Clamshell

This is an easy exercise to reduce knee pain, or may appear so at first. The first few repititions will feel easy, but as you increase the rep, the legs will begin to feel it.

To do the exercise, lie on your side, and use a pillow or a towel roll to support your neck. Keep your back straight and feet in line with your body as you bend your knees towards your chest. Keep your feet together, and lift the knee closest to the ceiling.

Keep your hips straight. Taking a short break, slowly bring your knee back to the starting position. Do three sets of ten reps on each leg once a day. Do the exercise 2-3 times a week.

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2) Bridge

This exercise helps reduce knee pain by strengthening the hips and the thighs.

To do the pose, lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Make sure the knees, feet, and hips are lined up. Put your arms down by your sides, and keep them loose. Pull your buttocks muscles together, and lift your hips up towards the ceiling.

You should only raise your hips as high as you can without putting too much pressure on the back or causing pain. Wait a moment, and move your hips back to the starting position. Do three sets of ten reps once a day, and do the exercise 2-3 times a week.

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3) Single Leg Lift

This exercise will allow you to strengthen the muscles in your thighs, taking some pressure off your knees and relieving knee pain.

To do the exercise, lie on your back with straight legs. Stretch out one leg, and slightly bend the foot. Put your hands on the floor by your sides. Tighten the muscles in your thighs, and slowly lift the leg till your knees are in line.

Wait a moment, and slowly put your leg down on the floor. When you're done, switch legs, and repeat the above steps with the other leg.

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4) Abduction

With this exercise, you can target your inner thigh muscles and the sides of your thighs.That will help decrease stress on the knees.

To do the exercise, lie down on your side, and bend your bottom knee to keep better balance. Tighten the muscles on the top of your thigh to straighten the top knee. Bend your feet so that the toes face forward.

Lift your leg towards the ceiling, but don't go any higher than your body line. Pause, and slowly move your leg back to where it started. Do three sets of ten reps on each leg once a day. Do the exercise 2-3 times a week.

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5) Quadruped Hydrant

This is a somewhat different exercise to help reduce knee pain.

To do it, put your hands and knees together. To use your ab muscles, pull your belly button in towards your spine. Lift one leg out to the side, while your knee is bent. Keep your hips facing down to stop your spine from rotating.

Wait a moment, andslowly bring your knee back to the starting position. Do three sets of ten reps on each leg once a day, and do the exercise 2-3 times a week.

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6) Quadriceps Stretch

This exercise can help relieve tension from the quadriceps muscles and make them more pliable and flexible, taking stress off the knees.

To do the pose, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor. Bring the heel of your right foot towards your right buttock as you bend your right knee. Reach your right hand behind you, and grab your foot. Hold the stretch, and put your foot on the floor. Do that again with your left leg.

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Takeaway

Knee pain can be due to many factors, including weak thigh and hip muscles. If weak muscles are the reason, performing exercises to relieve tension from the muscles and strengthening them should do the trick.