Our limbs, especially our knees, play an important role in our mobility and overall health. Unfortunately, they are also susceptible to wear and tear, injury and various diseases. Strengthening your knees can help prevent damage and make your life more active and comfortable. In this article, we’ll look at several methods to strengthen your knees and keep them healthy.
How to strengthen your knees: sports and simple tips will help you heal
1. Regular exercise
Exercises to strengthen the muscles around the knee joints can help improve knee stability and protect against injury. Here are some effective exercises:
• Squats: This classic exercise helps strengthen your quads, hips, and glutes.
• Leg press: This exercise also focuses on strengthening the quadriceps and other leg muscles.
• Lunges: Strengthens the quadriceps, glutes and thigh muscles.
• Flexibility exercises: Regular flexibility exercises, such as stretching, help maintain knee joint mobility and prevent stiffness.
2. Weight control
Excess weight puts extra pressure on the knee joints, which can lead to wear and tear. Maintain a healthy weight by following a balanced diet and regular exercise.
3. Proper shoes
Choose the right shoes for sports or exercise. The right shoes will help maintain proper foot alignment and reduce stress on your knee joints.
4. Strengthen your core muscles
Strong core muscles (abdominal and psoas) help maintain proper posture and load distribution when moving, which can reduce stress on the knee joints.
5. Proper lifting techniques
If you do strength training, be sure to use proper technique. Improper lifting of weights can lead to knee injuries.
6. Regular yoga or Pilates classes
Yoga and Pilates can help strengthen muscles, improve flexibility and coordination, which in turn reduces the risk of knee injuries.
How to Heal Your Knees with Exercises
To strengthen the knee joints and relieve pain from osteoarthritis, not only strength exercises, but also stretching the muscles of the thighs and legs are often recommended. These movements help increase mobility of the hip and ankle joints, improving the biomechanics of movements both in sports and in everyday life, and also relieve some of the stress on the knees.
Here are some exercises to help strengthen your knee muscles, suitable for any fitness level. Some of them are even recommended if you have joint problems, such as osteoarthritis, but in such cases it is important to be attentive to how you feel and if there is pain, consult a doctor.
1. Wall Leg Curl: Stand one foot away from the wall, spread your feet hip-width apart, and point your toes out. Gently bend your knees, while your back slides along the wall. Make sure your knees do not extend beyond your toes and remain pointing in the same direction as your feet. You can use a stability ball between your back and the wall for smoother movement.
2. Seated Knee Extension: While sitting in a chair with your back straight, slowly extend one knee until it is fully straight, pointing your toes slightly to the side. Tighten the muscles in your thigh and hold the position for a few seconds, without relaxing completely between repetitions.
3. Straight Leg Raise: Sitting on the edge of a chair, lift one leg until it is fully extended in front of you, parallel to the floor. Tighten your hip and slowly lift and lower your leg through a small range of motion.
4. Squats: Stand shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly turned outward. Squat down, keeping your back straight and your heels off the floor. To increase the load, you can use a fitness band or dumbbells.
5. Single Leg Squats: Stand on one leg, lift the other off the floor and slowly perform squats while maintaining balance. Monitor the position of your knee and do not allow it to move or rotate.
6. Lunges: Step forward with your right foot, leaving your left foot in place. Bend your knees and lower into a lunge until your front knee forms a right angle. Return to the starting position and repeat. Keep your back straight as you perform it, and make sure your front knee doesn’t extend past your toes. Perform 3 sets of 5 reps on each leg.
7. Side Hip Raise: Lie on your left side, bend your knees and cross one leg over the other. Without separating your feet, move your right hip to the side, pointing your knee up. Hold this position for 10 seconds, then return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times on each side. To increase the load, use a fitness band.
8. Side Lying Straight Leg Raise: Lie on your left side, maintaining a straight back and pointing your toes forward. Raise your right leg and hold it at the top for 10 seconds, then lower it. Repeat 4-5 times on each leg. To increase the load, use fitnes-elastic band.
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9. Stepping Up: Using a stable surface about 25-30cm high, step forward and return to the floor. Keep your back straight and avoid sudden movements. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg. Increase the height of the surface gradually to make the exercise more difficult.
10. Single or Double Leg Glute Bridge: Lie on the floor with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Raise your pelvis as high as you can and hold for a second, then return to the starting position. Repeat 3 sets of 10 times. To increase the load, perform on one leg.
Conclusion
Strengthening the knee joints plays an important role in overall health and mobility. Regular exercise, weight control, proper footwear and other measures can help keep your knees healthy and prevent injury. Remember to consult with your doctor or trainer before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have any existing knee problems.