6 Knee-Friendly Exercises to Stay Active without Destroying Your Joints

Knee-friendly exercises are quite common, and they are a huge help to people suffering from chronic knee pain. Knees are a crucial part of the legs, and painful knees can affect the simplest aspects of daily life, like walking, climbing stairs, sitting, and more.

Many people suffer from knee pain, which can be quite problematic, as the pain can prevent you from exercising. Some amount of exercise is extremely important to lead an energetic and functional life. It's also important for mental health.

If knee pain is hindering you from exercising, you can opt for knee exercises to overcome knee pain. These workouts can help strengthen the muscles around the knees to relieve the pain.

Performing different variants of knee-friendly exercises can help you achieve better overall health. For example, knee friendly glute exercises for women can help develop stronger glutes, which can take the stress off the knees.

Similarly, knee-friendly exercises to boost metabolism can make you feel more energetic. In this article, we have included some knee-friendly exercises that can help you stay active without destroying your joints.

Knee-Friendly Exercises to Help you Stay Active

Check out the following six knee-friendly exercises.

1) Swimming

Swimming is one of the finest low-impact knee friendly exercises for chronic knee pain. Water keeps the body buoyant, absorbing impact and allowing you to get a tremendous cardio workout while strengthening the muscles that support the knee.

The freestyle and backstroke are the greatest moves, but you can also try additional drills and routines. For instance, many people nowadays opt for water aerobics classes, where they perform a cardio workout inside water. Water keeps the joints from feeling the maximum part of the impact while allowing you to enjoy a nice workout.

You can also opt to walk inside water with the help of a flotation device. The resistance raises your heart rate, but there will be no impact, and you will be able to strengthen your knees.

2) Step Exercise

This is another simple and fun-to-do knee-friendly exercise that can help strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes.

Instructions:

Use a large, sturdy stool or exercise platform that's no more than six inches tall.
Step up onto the stool with your right foot, and let your left foot trail behind. The left foot should not be on the stool, but rather should be hanging behind it. Your right foot should be entirely on the stool.
Hold your body weight on the right foot for up to five seconds.
Lower your left foot slowly, followed by your right foot.
Step up with your left foot first, and switch legs.
Repeat.

Tips: Avoid locking your knees while doing the exercise; keep them slightly bent. If you have issues with balance, skip this exercise.

3) Low Impact Jumping Jack

It's time to bring in some cardio. The low impact jumping jack can get your heart rate up while protecting your knees from any major impact.

Instructions:

Take your right foot out to the right, turning slightly on your left foot, and face the left side of the room. Swing the right arm up at the same moment.
To start, take a step back, and pivot to the right, extending the left leg and swinging the left arm up.
For the next 60 seconds, alternate sides.

4) Wall Squat

This is a slightly tricky one, but once you get the hang of this knee-friendly exercise, you will love it for the workout it can give your muscles.

Instructions:

Lean your head, shoulders, back, and hips against a wall while standing upright and firm.
Step both feet out about 24 inches, keeping the back and shoulders against the wall. Your feet should be at the very least hip width apart.
Slowly slide your back down the wall till your body is just above a typical sitting position.
Hold for 5-10 seconds before sliding back up the wall.
Repeat.

Tips: Perform the exercise slowly, without any quick or jerky movements. Make sure your knees don't go ahead of your toes.

5) Leg Lift

This is an excellent knee-friendly exercise that's meant to strengthen your quadriceps and core muscles. It's performed by people working out at all levels, as it's a good core workout.

Instructions:

Lie down on the floor. On hard floors, use a yoga mat, blanket, or exercise mat.
Keep the left leg straight, and bend the right knee to bring the foot in.
Imagine the belly button descending to contract the abdominal muscles. That will help support the lower back during the activity.
Make sure the small of the back is touching the floor by placing a hand there. If there's room, place your hand on your lower back.
Lift left leg slowly without bending knee. Stop when the leg is 12 inches off the floor, with the toes pointed up. Your raised leg should not be higher than the right bent knee.
Lower your leg slowly. Repeat by switching legs.

6) Standing Hamstring Curl

The previous exercise helps strengthen the quads and core. This one can help strengthen the hamstrings and glutes. Together, all these muscles work together to take stress off the knees.

Instructions:

Stand upright and firm, with your knees 1-2 inches apart. For balance, grab a stable chair, the countertop, or another item.
Bend one knee behind the body slowly, bringing the heel off the floor and keeping the thighs aligned.
Lift the heel in a steady motion till the knee bend is at 90 degrees. To avoid locking your knees, keep them slightly bent.
Hold the bent leg up for 5 seconds before lowering it to the floor.
Repeat on the other side.

Takeaway

Exercise is a simple and accessible way to alleviate minor knee discomfort caused by overuse, arthritis, or other factors.

Knee-friendly exercises help maintain the strength of the legs and prevent injuries. Stretching can also help maintain muscle flexibility, preventing or alleviating pain. However, you should consult your doctor before beginning any exercise regimen.