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Build a Better You: Aching knees? Moves that will help strengthen your knees
Strengthening your knees is essential for reducing the risk of injury and keeping your body strong and pain-free.
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Strengthening your knees is essential for reducing the risk of injury and keeping your body strong and pain-free. Your knees bear your body weight, and also allow for the full range of motion of your legs and create stability. Weak knees can increase the chance of sprains, strains and severe conditions.
Building up the muscles surrounding the knees can improve overall leg health and increase mobility and stability. Strengthening the knees is a vital part of your workout routine. When you improve mobility and keep your joints flexible, you can perform your daily activities to the best of your ability.
All these exercises can be done at home, without weights to give you access to strengthening your knees at any time.
Leg lifts
Leg lifts will strengthen your quadriceps and avoid putting any pressure on the knee. According to the National Health Service, you can add ankle weights to raise the intensity or sit in a chair to reduce it.
- Lie on your back.
- Bend one knee and keep the other straight on the floor.
- Lift the straight leg to match the height of the bent knee.
- Repeat 10 times.
- Switch legs.
Calf raises
Calf raises can be performed on a flat surface or a step for a deeper stretch. If stability is a challenge, place your hands flat against a wall.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Slowly raise your body onto your toes.
- Lower back down to the starting position.
- Repeat 15 to 20 times.
Step-ups
Step-ups target the quadriceps, and strong quads can reduce the load on your knees.
- Stand in front of a step or bench.
- Step up with one foot.
- Step up with the other foot.
- Step down in the same order you stepped (e.g., if you stepped with your right foot first, then your left foot, step down in that order.)
- Repeat 10 times.
Wall sits
Wall sits work your entire leg, targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.
- Stand with your back against a wall.
- Slide down into a seated position as if sitting in a chair.
- Hold for 20-30 seconds.
- Repeat five times.
Squats
Squats strengthen the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Bend your knees.
- Lower your body as if you were sitting down.
- Keep your back straight and knees directly over your ankles for proper form. Try to form a 90-degree angle between your knee and ankle.
- Push back up to the starting position using your glutes.
- Repeat 10 times.
Lunges
Lunges work the same muscles as squats and improve balance to prevent knee injury.
- Stand with one foot forward and the other back.
- Bend your knees.
- Lower your body until your front knee is in line with your ankle.
- Push back up to the starting position using your leg and glutes.
- Switch legs.
- Repeat 20 times. (10 times per leg.)
As always, you should seek the approval of a medical professional when beginning any workout, especially if you are prone to injury.
Isabela Joyce is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist at The M.A.C. She can be reached at IJoyce@the-mac.net.
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