5 Ways to Strengthen Your Knees

There are many good reasons to want to strengthen your knees. You might be involved in high-impact activities that put a lot of strain on your knees. Maybe you suffer from arthritis and want to reduce pain and inflammation. Whatever the reason may be, there are things you can do to strengthen your knees.

1- Targeted exercises

By far the best way to strengthen your knees is to use targeted exercises that strengthen the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the knee joint. Things like straight leg raises or hamstring curls are a good example. To get an idea of what types of exercise to do, look at reliable sources such as:

• http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/injury-knee-pain-16/slideshow-knee-exercises
• http://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/6-exercises-that-keep-your-knees-healthy
• http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00564

Remember that before starting any knee exercises, be sure to check with your doctor first–especially if you’ve had knee injuries or problems in the past. As a general rule, these exercises should not be painful. Be sure to start off slowly and work your way up.

2- Nutrition

Healthy joints start with good nutrition. It’s impossible to talk about healthy knees without mentioning a healthy diet. Our joints thrive on vitamins and minerals like calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin E which are the building blocks of healthy bones. If your diet is lacking in any of these, be sure to take supplements to make sure you’re getting your daily recommended levels of the right vitamins and minerals.

3- Knee-friendly cardio

Sometimes it’s nice to skip the high-intensity workouts and high-impact activities like running or aerobics. Switch things up and think about aquatic sports like

swimming,
jogging in water, or
water aerobics.
Your knees will still get a great workout but without the pounding they normally take.

4- Stretching after exercise

Stretching helps prevent loss of mobility and strengthens the tendons and ligaments around the joints. And when should stretching be done? According to experts the best time to stretch is after your workout during your cool-down routine. This is when your muscles are most warm and pliable, which makes it easier to stretch and reduces the risk of injury.

5- Pick and choose your exercises wisely

Although you need to strengthen your knees with exercise, be sure to choose those exercises wisely. You might favor high-impact exercises like jogging. But depending on how healthy your knees are, it might be necessary for you to cut down on high-impact sports. Consider adding other activities to your daily routine–ones that aren’t so hard on the knees. Cycling, swimming, and yoga are all great examples of different exercises to consider.

 
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1- WebMD. 8 Knee Exercises to Help Prevent More Injuries. Reviewed by Ross Brakeville, DPT on May 16, 2016. http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/injury-knee-pain-16/slideshow-knee-exercises.