The 10 Best Knee Strengthening Exercises To Treat Knee Pain
Getting stronger is the BEST thing you can do to overcome pain and live active, healthy, and happy lives. Knee strengthening exercises help treat knee pain by limiting the impact that goes through the knee joint itself. In this article we look at the 10 best knee strengthening exercises to keep you active, strong, and doing what you love...regardless of age.
The 10 Best Knee Strengthening Exercises
The knee is a unique joint in the body in that most of it's movement is controlled by the joints above and below the knee itself. Therefore, the best knee strengthening exercises are the ones that build strength in our glute complex, improve single leg balance and strength, and improve movement patterns to limit impact at the knee. The following are the 10 best knee strengthening exercises to help treat knee pain.
1. Glute Bridge
The Glute Bridge is easily the safest and most effective exercise to build strength in your glutes and hamstrings to protect your knees. These need to be part of any plan to treat knee pain.
Learn How To Do Glute Bridge Correctly
2. Clamshells
Building strength in our glute med muscle group prevents our knees from caving in as we move through our day. The Clamshell is a safe and effective way to build glute med strength.
3. Wall Sits
The Wall Sit takes you back to high school gym class. This isometric contraction builds strength in your quads and legs to further protect your knees.
4. Toe Taps
Improving balance while standing on a single leg is important to strengthening the knee and treating knee pain. Toe Taps are an easy way to practice balance while further building strength in your glute med muscles to protect your knee.
5. Elevated Kettlebell Lift
Improving movement patterns is another important component to solving knee pain. The elevated kettlebell lift is an important exercise to practice our hinge and lift movement pattern while building strength in our glutes and hamstrings.
6. The Air Squat
The Squat is another important movement pattern and knee strengthening exercise. For most people, the air squat is a safe progression to start with. Easier or harder variations of the squat can be found here.
7. Step Ups
Building single leg strength is an important way to limit impact on the knee as you move through your day. Single leg step ups are a safe and effective exercise to begin building single leg strength without stressing your knee joint. Hold onto some dumbells if you're looking for a more challenging variation.
8. Lunging
The lunge is the most effective knee strengthening exercises. Using a TRX, the Assisted Lunge (video on right) is a great way to practice and build strength in your lunge movement before moving on to more challenging progressions.
9. Kettlebell Deadlifts
Deadlifts are one of the most important knee strengthening exercises and should, eventually, be included in any plan to treat knee pain. Once you've mastered the Elevated Kettlebell Deadlift above, simply more the weight to the ground and practice the kettlebell deadlift.
10. Standing Hip Abduction
An advanced move, this exercise builds more strength in the glute med and improves balance and coordination to protect your knees.
The best knee strengthening exercises are the ones that build strength in our glute complex, improve single leg balance and strength, and improve movement patterns to limit impact at the knee. To learn more about improving movement and strength to solve years of chronic joint pain and maintain your lifestyle as you get older, be sure to join our community and download your free 'Solving Pain With Strength' exercise program below.
