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I don’t know about you, but my knees always hurt when I’m going up a flight of stairs. I was a runner for many years, and although it kept me in shape, the wear and tear on my knees as well as aging, has weakened them.
Whether your knees currently hurt or not, the following video is for you; eventually everyone experiences knee pain, and the more we strengthen them the better. Dr. Jo, a physical therapist and Doctor of Physical Therapy presents 3 excellent solutions for strengthening your knees.
The key to KNEE STRENGTHENING is to REBUILD JOINT STRENGTH. This will not only REDUCE PAIN (if you already have it), but will act as a PREVENTATIVE for knee joint erosion as you age. Dr. Jo emphasizes the importance of maintaining correct form when doing the following 3 KNEE STRENGTHENING EXERCISES:
1. STEP UPS
For this move you can actually use a step in your house, or a couple of hard covered books if your step is too high. As you will see, it is important to move slowly (using your muscles not momentum) to go up and down. It is also important to always keep your bent knee behind your toes.
2. LUNGES
Again, keeping your knee behind your toes, you alternate lunges with each leg, keeping your upper body straight and maintaining a controlled motion.
3. SQUATS
While keeping your legs shoulder width apart, you lower your rear as if you are going to sit, using a low chair or coffee table as the object to tap so you don’t go down too far. It is key that you not go fully down into a sitting position, and once again keep your knees behind those toes!
Dr. Jo further emphasizes the importance of mobilizing and stretching the knee, before strengthening it. She focusses on correct form so that the knee actually gets strengthened; following the moves you are about to view accurately is key to not moving in ways that could do further damage to the joint. Doing these 3 exercises daily will go a long way in strengthening your knees and getting pain relief!
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