Top 5 Best Exercises for Knee Injuries
You can do exercises for your knee injuries at home or even during a break at work. Actually, they are very easy to do, effective and practical, and in most cases they don’t require any special equipment. So if you’ve had an accident, an injury or simply suffer from knee pain, this article is perfect for you.
The first thing you have to take into account is that exercises for knee injuries must be done slowly. You should gradually increase the number of repetitions and effort as your muscles strengthen and you move forward in your recovery.
Furthermore, remember that once you’ve finished doing them, it’s necessary to include some easy stretching exercises to help avoid tension in your muscles. We recommend you consider exercising your knees every two days to help sore muscles rest.
5 exercises for knee injuries
We present to you the following list of exercises for knee injuries. We hope you find them useful and add them to your recovery.
1.- Step-ups
The first exercise to help you strengthen the muscles of your legs are step-ups, since they are great to train your hamstrings and quads. Plus, they help to increase the power and coordination in your leg muscles by using the weight of your body as resistance.
For this exercise all you need is a staircase. Stand in front of the staircase and go up, starting with your right foot. Then, repeat the movement starting with your left foot.
We advise you to keep doing this for 30 seconds, plus a 20 second break. To complete the exercise you must do three rounds.
2.- Calf raises
Calf raises can be done by standing at the back of a resistant chair, or another support, such as the back of a couch or a wall rail at the gym. This exercise is about slightly lifting one foot from the floor with all of your weight supported in the other foot.
To proceed with the exercise, simply lift your heels progressively as high as you can, to then go down to the initial position. Try to do three rounds of 10-15 repetitions each.
3.- Lateral leg raise
This is exercise is all about strengthening your quads, which are the muscles located in the anterior zone of your thighs.
To do it, you must lie down on your back on your bed, or floor, with your arms relaxed to your sides and the tips of your toes facing up. Proceed by keeping your leg straight while you squeeze your muscles, then slowly lift it up several centimeters off of the floor.
Once your leg is up, you must squeeze your abdomen and push down on your lower back. Keep that position and count to five, in order to lower your leg down, as slowly as possible. You must do four repetitions and then repeat with the other leg, to finish the exercise.
4.- Half squat
In order to strengthen the knees, the half squat is an ideal exercise that you can do at the end of the recovery process.
It strengthens the thigh muscles along with the glutes. Keep in mind that stooping down is perfect to strengthen your legs and to increase the range of movement in your knee joints.
To do the half squat, you must begin with your feet shoulder-width apart and stretch your arms to the front. Slowly bend your knees until you’re half-seated. We advise you to hold this position for five seconds.
If you consider it appropriate for you, you might start with three rounds of 10 repetitions, so that you don’t overload yourself. You can even support yourself with a chair to keep balance.
Lastly, remember to keep your back straight and your chest up during the exercise, and also avoid leaning forward.
5.- Leg press
The last exercise in this list is ideal for the gym. In fact, it allows you to add weight so that you can strengthen your leg muscles.
To do it, you must sit in a pressure machine with your back and head leaning on the support, and keep your feet against the plate. Keep in mind that you can adjust the support of the seat to make it more comfortable.
This exercise consists of slowly pushing the plates away from you until your legs are completely extended. Bend your knees and go back to the initial position. You must do three rounds of 10-15 repetitions. Don’t forget to ask for help from the staff at the gym, for the first time that you do this exercise.
Finally, keep in mind that exercises for knee injuries must never hurt or worsen the injury. Also remember that sore muscles after a tough workout are normal. If you detect some irregularities or discomfort, we advise you to talk to your doctor.
