It is true that your risk for developing knee problems increases as you get older BUT knee pain does not have to be inevitable as you age. There are things you can do to both protect your knees and lessen existing/ongoing pain.
One of the BIGGEST MISTAKES we see is when people with knee pain have tried to solve that pain by using their knee(s) less. For example, if you have osteoarthritis and moving your knee hurts, you may think the best approach is to rest your joint and let it heal.
The problem is that resting doesn’t promote healing – instead it allows the structures that support your joints to become weaker. Exercising consistently, in a safe way, is key to strengthening your knees and managing knee pain.
Here at Movimento Fitness it is common for our members to be experiencing knee pain when they first come to us. We work to improve their strength and mobility while reducing those aches and pains by designing training programs that target their specific needs.
Here is where we focus to achieve those goals:
- Strength Training: Strength training is essential for building muscle and strength in your legs which help support your knees.
- Low-Impact Cardio: Our studio is centered around low-impact cardio machines that will give you all of the heart health benefits – AND boost leg strength – without putting added stress on your joints such as ellipticals, recumbent/upright exercise bikes, rowers, and more. We use these machines purposefully in combination with strength training to give you a well rounded workout.
- Stretching: Stretching the muscles that support your knees help improve mobility across that entire joint. This will improve your overall knee health and can prevent common knee pain from developing. Areas of focus: quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, core, and IT bands.
4 Simple Knee Strengthening Exercises You Can Do At Home:
Exercise #1 - Wall Sit
This exercise works your lower body: quads, hamstrings, calves and glutes building muscle and strength in your legs to support your knee joints. If you are having knee pain, wall sits can be a more knee friendly option to traditional squats while giving you similar benefits. Also, you’ll improve your core strength and increase your endurance!
- Lean your back against a wall, with your feet hip-width apart and about 2 feet from the wall.
- Keep your knees slightly bent and slide your back down the wall until your knees are bent at a 90° degree angle, as if you were sitting on an invisible chair. Make sure your knees are aligned over your ankles, not beyond them.
- Your arms can be rested on your knees, crossed across your chest, or relaxed by your sides.
- Hold this static position, with your back fully supported by the wall and your abdominal muscles contracted. Hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds, then push up with your legs to return to a standing position. Repeat 2-3 times.
Exercise #2 - Standing Hip Abduction/Side Leg Lifts
This exercise helps strengthen the muscles in your hips, butt, and thighs which helps stabilize your knees. It also improves your balance, since it’s done on 1 leg. Lastly, it promotes mobility in your hip joint (the hips tend to get achy as we get older, be it stiff, sore and/or weak).
- Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart close to a wall for extra support if needed.
- Support yourself with your hand against a wall and stabilize your body by engaging your core muscles.
- Your outer leg further from the wall – turn your foot slightly inwards and keep it as such during entire move.
- Raise your leg to the side as far as possible without shifting your weight or arching your lower back.
- Hold your position for a quick second, slowly lower your leg back to the starting position, and repeat.
Exercise #3 - Sit to Stand
This exercise strengthens your lower body specifically your quads and hamstrings. It promotes increased mobility, especially in your knees, hips, and ankles resulting in improved ability to do daily tasks and activities such as sitting, standing up, or climbing stairs. You’ll build better balance and improved muscular endurance to help you maintain + improve your overall mobility and independence!
- Using a chair, sit straight in it with the feet flat on the floor. Make sure to use a pillow or cushion on the seat so you are not as low when you are sitting.
- Cross your arms over the chest.
- Stand up straight, slowly.
- Slowly sit back down back to the starting position, and repeat.
Exercise #4 - Standing Hip Extension
This exercise helps activate the primary hip extensor (your gluteal maximus and the hamstrings) and strengthens your lower body. Hip extensions also strengthen the muscles that support your spine reducing lower back pain. It helps with different daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs, and hiking on uneven terrains – allowing for good stable knee health. This exercise it helps you extend your hips fully and sit and stand upright.
- Stand with your hands placed on a sturdy surface, such as a table or a wall to help you for balance.
- Extend 1 leg backward and toward the ceiling while keeping your knee mostly straight.
- Hold this position, and focus on squeezing your butt muscles as you do so.
- Relax your leg and return to your starting position, and repeat.
Customized strength training can help you even further!
If you’re ready to take the next steps to strength your knees, reduce aches and pains, massively increase your energy, and boost your overall health – we can help!
Our 6 Week Stronger For Longer Program is the perfect place to start. Unlike a regular gym where you’d be left to figure it out on your own, we give every member personalized coaching at each session so we can make sure you feel your best at the end of the 6 weeks. We design your program specifically around your personal fitness level and your goals to help you see results in the most safe and effective way possible. Plus, we are the go-to studio for members 50+ so you can rest assured that our team has experience helping you safely strength train even if you have health conditions or any limitations that restrict your movement.
Learn more about the 6 week program here:
