9 Best Exercises to Relieve Knee Pain

The largest and among the most vulnerable joints in our body is the knee. People of every age across the globe experience knee pain. It bears significant stress from day-to-day activities, including kneeling, lifting, running, jogging, and even walking.

While some think it tempting to avoid exercise in such conditions, this is not always an ideal solution. There are certain exercises to relieve knee pain proven to help alleviate the condition and prevent you from the same in the future.

Curious to know what causes knee pain? Keep reading to learn more about them in detail.

There are several reasons responsible for knee pain, including:

Mechanical Issues - A few mechanical problems causing knee pain are as follows:

• Dislocated kneecap
• Pain in the hip or foot
• Degeneration of bone or cartilage
• Iliotibial band syndrome

Injuries - A knee injury adversely impacts the ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and bones that form the joint. Here are a few common knee injuries triggering knee pain:

• Fractures
• ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries
• Patellar tendinitis
• Torn meniscus
• Knee bursitis

Arthritis - The following variants of arthritis are most likely to affect the knee.

• Gout
• Septic arthritis
• Pseudogout
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Apart from these, athletes and young adults are prone to Patellofemoral pain syndrome, which occurs between the thighbone and kneecap. In such a condition, the kneecap fails to accurately track in its groove. This condition is also common among older adults due to arthritis in the kneecap.

In addition, the symptoms of the pain behind your knees depend on the cause. For instance, a tender calf triggers severe conditions like deep vein thrombosis, which require urgent medical attention.

Moreover, individuals suffering from osteoarthritis undergo discomfort when bearing weight. In such conditions, the knee becomes stiff if sitting for a longer time or moving out of the bed in the morning. Besides, individuals with PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) injury feel pain behind the knees, especially when kneeling, walking or running. Regardless, a few of the symptoms of knee pain include -

• Stiffness and swelling
• Crunching and popping noises
• Instability or weakness
• Warmth or redness to touch
• Inability to straighten your knee

Individuals can include a few exercises to relieve knee pain under professional guidance to do away with these conditions.

Go through the list of the 9 best exercises to strengthen the knee and include them in your daily workout session for effective results.

1. Standing Hamstring Curls

This exercise involves hamstrings and gluteal muscles and improves the capacity to withstand the impact of exercise and stabilise your knees. This further helps stretch your quadriceps to relieve back pain and stiffness.

To perform it, you must stand straight, keeping your knees 1 to 2 inches apart. Then slowly lift your heel off the floor, bend one knee behind your body and keep your thighs aligned. Continue lifting the heel slowly until it makes a 90-degree angle. Hold the pose for 5 seconds, then gently lower your leg to the floor. Repeat it 2 more times on the same leg, switch sides, and continue the same procedure. Beginners can hold on to a stable object like a table or chair to maintain balance.

2. Half Squat

Half squat is among the best exercises for knee pain as it potentially improves knee stability, making it less susceptible to sports injury risks. It also enhances your motion range and pushes past strength plateaus.

First, take a standing squat position, maintaining a foot shoulder-width distance. Next, put your hands out in front for balancing, look straight and slowly squat down around 10 inches or halfway to a full squat. Hold the pose for a few seconds and stand up by pushing the floor with your heels. Repeat the same for 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

3. Leg Lifts

Leg lifting exercises primarily target the lower abdominal muscles and help control the core muscles. It involves the quadriceps and abdominal muscles.

To begin with, lay a yoga/exercise mat on the floor and lie down on it. Then, keep your right leg straight and bend your left leg slightly at your knee while bringing the foot closer to your body. Try to pull your abdominal muscles inward and bring your lower back down against the floor.

Next, place your hand under your lower back to ensure no space between your back and the floor. Gently lift the left without bending your knee while keeping the toes pointed towards the ceiling. Hold the pose when your leg is nearly 12 inches ora foot off the floor or not higher than the bent knee on your left leg. Hold this pose for 5 seconds and slowly put your leg back on the floor. Repeat the process 2 times more with the same leg and then switch.

4. Wall Squats

Essential for muscle endurance, the wall squat is one of the best exercises to relieve knee pain. It primarily takes care of quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Additionally, wall squats help optimise the knees and strengthen the connective tissue if performed appropriately.

To perform wall squats, stand with your head, back, shoulders, and hips flat against the wall. Next, place your feet around 24 inches or hip width apart from the wall, keeping your back and shoulders intact. Now, slowly slide your back down the wall until you reach a half-sitting posture. Hold your position for 5 seconds, then slowly slide back up and repeat.

5. Calf Raises

Our calf muscle is intricately connected with the hamstring muscles and the back of our knees. Therefore, strengthening the calf muscle will provide greater stability and support to the knees. To do the exercise, stand facing a wall or any other sturdy support. Slowly raise your heels as high as possible and then slowly lower them. Repeat this 10 to 15 times. Similarly, you can perform this exercise on the staircase, holding on to the railing and hanging your heels off the edge of a step.

6. Side Leg Raises

Though this exercise does not directly reduce knee pain, it ensures better body balance. Furthermore, with regular practice, side leg raises will significantly strengthen your knees and hips. To perform this, first, lie down on one side. For support, bend your bottom leg and straighten and raise your other leg up to 45 degrees. Hold this posture for 5 seconds and then lower your leg and relax. Repeat this 10 to 15 times on both sides.

7. Straight Leg Raises

Straight leg raise exercise is primarily responsible for quadriceps and hip flexor musculature. Thus, it is among the best knee exercises medical practitioners recommend during knee rehabilitation to support your knee and reduce stress on your knee joint.

First, you must lie on your stomach with your legs straight to perform this exercise. Then, tighten the hamstring and the bottom muscles of one leg and lift it toward the ceiling. Hold the position for 3 to 5 seconds, repeat it 10 to 15 times and then switch legs. Moreover, you can include ankle weights to strengthen the muscles surrounding your knees.

8. Steps-up

If you are looking for exercises for knee joint pain, add step-ups to your daily workout routine. It involves hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps and hip flexors and targets the lower body to recruit your core muscles and improve muscle endurance.

To begin with this posture, you will require a large exercise platform of 6 inches maximum. Then step onto it with your right foot. Then follow the same with your left foot but make sure it hangs behind the platform. Put your entire body weight on your right foot and hold the position for around 5 seconds. Slowly bring down your left foot and repeat it with your right foot. Switch legs and keep stepping up and down 10-15 times.

9. Short-arc Knee Extension

Another exercise to relieve knee pain and strengthen thigh muscle is knee extension. Moreover, it will make your knee less prone to injuries and rehabilitate the same. You need to sit on a stable platform hanging your hands freely. Then place a thin pad under your knee to elevate it higher than your hip. Raise your right leg by extending your knee until you reach a terminal knee extension. Then slowly lower your knee, and repeat 10-15 times. Then switch legs and repeat the same.

Flexible and strong muscle is the key to keeping your knees healthy, making them less prone to injuries. Though exercising may seem counterintuitive, gentle stretching and strengthening exercises can substantially reduce the impact and stress on the knee.

Strengthening and stretching exercises are a non-invasive and healthier way to treat minor knee pain. They can significantly help aid knee joint pain by reducing the stress from the muscles around the knee, ensuring better flexibility. Furthermore, strong muscles provide support for the knees and eventually alleviate pressure and strain to relieve joint pain, making one more active.

Nonetheless, performing any of these exercises to relieve knee pain inaccurately or without professional guidance will result in tightened muscles. Such a condition will constrict your knee joint and trigger muscle soreness.

While exercises are effective in treating knee pain, to work out safely under such conditions, individuals should avoid high-impact and jarring exercises, including:

• Lunges
• Hurdler's stretches
• Jumping
• Deep Squats
• Full-arc knee extensions
• Kickboxing, etc.

They tend to worsen the condition and exert excessive pressure on the knees, making them susceptible to injuries and other associated risks.

While exercising is an effective way to deal with knee pain, one must be aware of the precautions to avoid worsening the condition. They are as follows:

• Avoid Resting for a Longer Time: Excessive resting potentially weakens muscles which eventually intensifies joint pain. Individuals can include the exercises mentioned above under expert guidance and stick to them for prompt results.
• Skip Running: Irrespective of what surface you run on, roads or treadmill, it imparts immense stress on the knees and all other joints in the body.
• Use Cushioned Shoes: Shoes with cushioned insoles are comfortable to wear and are often recommended by doctors. They uniformly distribute the pressure without straining your knees. You can also opt for special insoles as per instructed by a professional. Besides, cardiovascular exercises such as walking, swimming, stationary cycling, etc., are beneficial for muscle strengthening, which in turn will contribute to relieving knee pain.

Apart from these exercises to relieve knee pain, you can also consider tai chi and water aerobics in your daily workout routine for better results. Nonetheless, in severe cases, such as tremendous pain and swelling, deformity, signs of infection, etc., seek medical assistance for effective solutions.