Strengthen Your Knees with Exercise

Your knees take a lot of pressure every day, but with proper care, they can last your lifetime. It’s even possible to strengthen your knees with exercise. “What you’re really doing is strengthening the musculature that surrounds the knee joint,” explains Timothy Filzen, a physical therapist and sports resident at the Weill Cornellaffiliated Hospital for Special Surgery.

Several muscles support the knee, but the two main muscles are hamstrings and quadriceps. The best way to strengthen them, Filzen says, is through a progressive resistance exercise program. This requires equipment generally found in a gym, such as a leg press or a hamstring curl machine, but that can also be purchased for the home.

“Start at a low weight that is comfortable for you; then gradually increase resistance over time. This allows the muscles surrounding the knee to make necessary adaptations and become stronger,” Filzen says.

No Equipment Needed

There are several good exercises for reducing knee pain, many of which require little to no equipment. “One of my favorites for individuals with knee pain is the squat to a chair,” Filzen says, where you stand up from a sitting position, then return to that position. “This is great for helping to strengthen the quadriceps, gluteal muscles, and hamstrings.” This exercise can be modified by using a taller chair to limit the depth of the squat. Other great exercises include the glute bridge (lie on your back and lift your buttocks and back off the ground for a 10-second count), clamshell (or scissor), and straight leg-raise. These exercises also are helpful in strengthening the muscles of the hip and thigh, which are important for decreasing pain in the knee, Filzen says.

The Best Treatment: Prevention

“Exercising regularly, walking, weight training, and living an active lifestyle are all great ways to maintain strong, healthy joints. And it’s never too late to start; a well-organized fitness plan can get people of all fitness levels on track,” says Filzen. Consult a health-care professional to determine the cause of your pain (osteoarthritis, for example) and the necessary steps to help reach your goals.

“The worst thing you can do to your knees is not listen to them when they are sending you painful signals,” Filzen says. “Too often, patients try to push themselves too far when experiencing knee pain, saying things like ‘no pain no gain’. I have found this to lead to a delayed recovery. Modified activity and rest are often the first steps to recovery.”

Kneeling can be a difficult position for some people and can provoke symptoms, depending on the source of the pain. “Putting pressure on the knee by kneeling can further compress these structures and lead to an increase in symptoms in these individuals.”

Also, foot, hip, and low back pain can contribute to knee pain. “Every joint in the body is interconnected, and sometimes a person’s knee pain may have very little to do with the knee at all. For many people, surgery can be avoided with the proper care, Filzen says.

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