No matter if you are an athlete, a daily walker, or just an ordinary person, dealing with knee pain is truly challenging. Having had knee surgery from a meniscus tear in 2016, I am well aware of the issues it can cause. Unfortunately, when it comes to knee injuries I am not alone.
According to studies, around 25% of adults across the globe experience frequent knee pain. Though osteoarthritis is the most common cause of knee pain, there are several other reasons why you may experience such difficulty. My own knee injury was caused (I believe) by years of road running and playing football. However, the good news is that you can effectively relieve your pain with knee-strengthening exercises and muscle stretches.
In this article, we will discuss some effective exercises that you can incorporate into your daily life to strengthen your leg muscles and reduce knee pain. So, without further ado, let’s walk through them.
Straight Leg Raises
If you often experience knee pain, consider strengthening your quadriceps. Quadriceps are the muscles in the front of your thigh. Strengthening these muscles helps you to deal with your knee problems effectively. Straight leg rises is one of the simplest knee pain relief exercises that puts no strain on your knee joints. To practise this exercise, you simply have to lie on your back on a flat surface. Now, bend one of your knees while placing the foot flat on the surface. Keep the opposite leg straight and lift it to the height of the folded knee. Repeat it 10 times for three to four sets.
Half Squat
To reduce your knee pain, it’s essential to strengthen your hamstrings, glutes and quadriceps. To strengthen all three muscles simultaneously, consider practising the half squat. Apart from strengthening your leg muscles, this exercise helps you to tone your hip muscles. To do this exercise, keep your feet shoulder-width apart and sit in a standing squat posture. For balance, you may place your hands on your hips or stretch them in front. While practising, keep your vision straight and squat down slowly. Pause yourself at the halfway point to a full squat and hold onto this position for 5–10 seconds. To stand up, use your heels to push you through. Repeat it 10 times for three sets.
The Yoback is an excellent tool to increase your hip mobility and protect your knee joint during squats. By placing your heels on the individual blocks, you can increase your range of motion, whilst decreasing the amount of pressure placed on your knee joint.
Hamstring Curls
One of the easiest exercises that you can do to tone your hamstrings muscles are hamstring curls. To do this exercise, stand behind a chair holding its back for balance. Flex your leg and bring the heel to your hip and hold onto that position for 10 seconds. Now slowly get back to your initial position. Do the same with the opposite leg and repeat the exercise 10 times with each leg. This is a great exercise that can be done at work during one of your breaks or just to keep the blood flowing to your legs after being sat down for a long time. If you want to make it weighted, you can wrap a resistance band around the chair and your foot.
Leg Extensions
To do this knee pain relief exercise, you can use both your body weight and a weighted leg extension machine. This exercise is great for keeping additional pressure off your knees while toning your quadriceps. Here, you need to sit on a tall chair while keeping your feet flat on the ground. For better results, your feet should be hip-width apart. Now, look straight and contract your thigh muscles. Next, extend one of your legs as much as possible without raising your butt. Hold onto the position for a few seconds and then slowly lower the leg to the initial position.
Calf Raises
Apart from strengthening the upper part of the legs, it’s important to tone your calves to reduce knee pain. Calf raises are one of the most effective knee muscle stretches that you can include in your regime to strengthen the lower part of your leg. You may practice this exercise on the stairs or gym stepper. For balance, you may stand behind the back of a chair, couch, a wall bar or hold the bannister. Hang your heels off the edge of the stair or stepper. Now, raise your heels slowly as high as you can and then lower. The Yoback is a great tool to help with calf raises at home if you don't have stairs or a box to step on. It's also safer and more comfortable due to it's ergonomic curved design.
Knee pain relief or knee injury exercises are great for strengthening your knee and adjacent muscles. Once you have built the strength, you may incorporate low-impact exercises in your daily routine. Yoga, Tai Chi, swimming, walking and so on are some low-impact exercises that put less stress on your knee joints. You may also use Yoback to do knee muscle stretches to relieve pain and tension. However, consider talking to your doctor before starting a workout program. They can help you select the safest exercises based on your knees’ condition and underlying causes.
How The Yoback Can Help With Knee Pain
If you suffer from knee pain then you should consider adding the Yoback into your stretching routine. You can use the Yoback to stretch and strengthen your leg muscles whilst protecting the knee joint, through assisted squats, calf raises, dynamic movements with the complete wheel and a lot more. Use the eBook provided to find the exercise that suits you and your body. It can be used at work, at home, at the gym or anywhere else you need to exercise. Add it to your daily routine and see the benefits in just a few days.
To find out more about the Yoback and how it can help with knee pain click here
