3 knee strengthening exercises

If you want to heal or prevent knee injuries you need to strengthen your knees. I made the mistake of running all my life without taking time to stretch my legs or build up the muscles that support my knees. This resulted in getting knee tendonitis at age 56 and experiencing knee pain for several months. The biggest problem with the knee is that it doesn't have many supporting muscles so you need to build up the core muscles that support the knee. This includes the thigh and buttocks muscles (quads and gluts). The stronger these muscles become the less prone you'll be to suffering from knee injuries.

3 knee strengthening exercises

1. The lunge

This exercise strengthens the quadriceps muscles, gluteal muscles and the hamstring muscles.

You can do this anywhere at anytime as long as you have enough space to stretch your body. Start with your feet a shoulder width apart then step forward with your right foot landing heal first. Your knee should be at 90 degrees directly above your toes. Your back knee is stretched behind you so it barely touches the ground. Hold that position for a count of 20 to 30 seconds or until you feel your muscles burning. Return to the starting position, then do the opposite legs. Repeat this exercise 2 to 3 times or until your legs get tired. Over time you'll legs will get stronger.

A variation of this lunge exercise is to use weights by including dumbbells in each hand. Raise them above your head as you perform the exercise.

2. Wall squats

Stand with your back against the wall. Lift one leg up then bend the supporting leg at 30 degrees and hold it there for 30 seconds. Don't bend it over 30 degrees if you already have knee problems. It will aggravate the injury by putting too much pressure on the knee. Repeat this exercise for the other knee. Do it several times to strengthen your quads.

3. Calf Stretch

This is a great exercise to do first thing in the morning and/or later in the day. Stand with your feet pointed forward facing a wall or post. Extend your right leg backwards keeping the heel down. Slowly bend the leg front knee while straightening the right leg. You will feel the upper calf muscles of your back leg getting stretched. Repeat this exercise for the other leg. Do several repetitions.

The key to strengthening your knees is to do these exercises consistently every day for several weeks. It will not only speed up the recovery of injured knees but prevent future knee pain.