The knee is the largest joint in the human body and is the most important link between the thigh and the leg. Since it supports a large part of the body’s weight, the knee is considered by specialists to be one of the most complex joints we have. This is made up of the joint and mechanical activity of certain bones such as the tibia, femur, patella and menisci. The latter are called fibro cartilaginous discs. Hence the importance of knee bends.
The knee is one of the most sensitive parts of the body to suffer from osteoarthritis, a disease that can become quite aggressive. In addition, this joint is usually extremely vulnerable to injury.
On many occasions they become serious due to certain injuries derived from falls and also from sports activities. Hence the importance of practicing exercises properly. That is why in this article we propose a series of tips and training routines. In them the knee is involved as the main objective of the exercise.
Most common knee injuries
- Strain: This occurs when a sudden movement, blow, or fall where the knee is involved causes the joint to change in size.
- Sprain: This injury can be one of the most painful, since it does not allow you to continue moving the affected area. It occurs when ligaments in the knee are injured by straining, overstretching, twisting, or tearing.
- Osteoarthritis: This occurs when there is excessive wear of the cartilage and joints. It is common in elderly people and causes pain, deformities and loss of mobility.
There are other conditions in the knee that can be just as serious as those mentioned, but these are usually the most common. That is why it is so important to train the knees to strengthen them, especially if we are past the ideal weight, since most of the weight of our body falls on them.
For a first training session, even if you exercise systematically, avoid putting weight on your legs so as not to overload the knee. If you are a beginner in physical training, we recommend you start with knee bends. This exercise is a classic for training this joint. All this with the aim of strengthening them to be able to perform more complex exercises and with greater weight.
Knees tend to get hurt if they are not exercised properly. With excessive cycling and jogging, the knees could become physically exhausted. Hence the importance of strengthening them not only to be able to opt for a more complex training, but also to prevent the ailments or diseases mentioned above.
Exercises to prevent or reduce knee pain
We start with a classic, knee bends, but do not forget to warm up before opting for any of these exercises.
Knee bends
- Lie on your back on a mat.
- Place your bent legs making a 90 degree angle with the floor.
- Bend your knees until you are in a fetal position.
You can do these push-ups with both legs at the same time, although it is recommended to do them with only one leg. It is recommended to maintain the fetal position for a period of thirty seconds, a time that can be increased as the training progresses.
Squats to strengthen the knees
- Spread your legs a little longer than the width of your shoulders.
- Bend your knees.
- Go down slowly.
This exercise is also often used to tone buttocks and legs. It is recommended to start with three or four series of about twelve repetitions. As you progress in training, you can increase the dose to gain endurance and muscle strength.
Another variant of the same is the reverse squat. This exercise is performed in a similar way to ordinary squats or squats. The only thing that changes is the starting position, since it is done from the bottom up.
Jogging with legs raised
You can do this exercise in the same place or jog through space. You just have to raise your leg to waist height. In this way the knee is required to the maximum, also providing flexibility in the legs.
These would be the basic exercises to prevent and reduce knee pain. This can be caused by the daily wear and tear of walking or running without proper training.
Exercises to strengthen the knees
Because the knees usually carry the weight of the entire body, it is necessary to train them to strengthen their muscular strength. Especially if we are overweight, knee exercises will facilitate better physical training, as well as running or walking activities.
That is why we propose a series of exercises to strengthen the knees. Through these simple steps, various sectors of the knee are exercised, such as the vast us medial is, the anterior rectus, the adductor major of the quadriceps and the anterior tibias.
It is important to take into account the existence of any previous injury or medical operation in these areas. In those cases, we recommend that you go to your doctor and ask about the relevance of doing these exercises.
Stride to strengthen and tone the legs
- Put one leg back.
- Slightly bend the other leg.
- Lower the knee of the leg that is behind without touching the ground.
To perform the exercise properly you must keep your back straight and look straight ahead. Also take care of breathing, inhaling when going up and exhaling when going down. It is recommended to perform about four sets of ten repetitions with each leg.
Once you’ve mastered the exercise, you can start doing weighted lunges, using a dumbbell for each arm.
Steps to the side
- Place an elastic band tied around the ankles.
- Make sure it’s taut by opening your legs hip-width apart.
- Bend your knees.
- Move to one side and to the other.
With this exercise it is important to maintain a posture similar to that of squats: back straight and looking straight ahead. Always try to maintain the tautness of the elastic band. This puts pressure on the legs and helps strengthen the knees.
A variant of the exercise that you can also practice with the same objective is the strides. Keeping the elastic band in the same position, you stride forwards and backwards and also to the sides.
Recumbent lunges with elastic band
- Lie down on your side on a mat, supporting one of your forearms on it.
- Place the band on the ankles.
- Open your knees as much as you can.
- Do it again with the other leg.
Other activities to strengthen the knees
Beyond exercise or physical training and all the routines that can help us strengthen the knee, we could also rely on other more everyday actions. Activities that we can do daily without the need to follow a strict training rhythm.
Ride a bike
This is one of the most recommended activities to exercise the legs. Whether you’re riding a stationary bike or cycling, cycling can make it easier to tone up and build strength in your legs.
You can ride a bike freely at the pace you want. Although if you have never suffered injuries, you could opt for a more intense training. You can do this by changing the speeds of the bike and the pace at which you pedal.
To swim
This is definitely one of my favorite activities, since we not only train but also enjoy the outdoors and the sun. Also, once in the water you can do other activities that help strengthen your knees, such as kicking or simulating running.
Exercising in water is undoubtedly one of the most recommended activities not only by physical trainers, but also by doctors. It is one of the best ways to exercise muscles and joints, significantly reducing levels of risk of injury.
Elliptical
This device is not only essential for aerobic and cardiovascular training. An intense routine with the elliptical maintaining a medium pace for about five minutes also contributes to strengthening the knees.
Tips to strengthen your knees
Physical exercise and systematic training of the body in general contribute to a greater extent to strengthen the legs, allowing them to reach their maximum potential. However, if we do not take care of other issues associated with food, for example, exercise may be ineffective and we may even be spending more of the energy we have. That is why we propose a series of tips to strengthen your knees, which can accompany your training.
- Maintain a balanced diet, reinforced with foods rich in vitamin A and C. These protect the elastic fibers.
- Calcium to strengthen bones.
- Omega 3 that contributes to proper blood circulation.
- Drink plenty of water daily to keep tissues hydrated
- Control your weight. This reduces the work done by the knees and they are not overloaded.
- Try to wear the right shoes to avoid foot pain and walk correctly.
- Maintain posture at all times. Whether during physical exercise, walking or simply sitting in a chair.