Leg Workout With Knee Pain

Leg Workout With Knee Pain
As a physical therapist, one of the most common injuries that I treat in my clinic is knee pain. It’s incredible just how debilitating knee pain can be. From walking, running, and navigating stairs to even the simplest of activities such as standing and walking; all can be limited by pain in this one joint. So what do you do if you enjoy exercising, working out, and strength training but are limited in doing so because of knee pain? Today I wanted to share with you 8 of my favorite leg strengthening exercises that you can do despite painful knees. These virtually no-impact exercises are not only easy on the knee joint, but chances are they might also help it to feel a lot better as you strengthen key muscles that stabilize the knee! A general rule to remember with the following exercises is please do not do them if they hurt your knee. Muscle soreness – the burn you feel in your quads, hips, and hamstrings – is a great thing. I hope you feel some of that with this workout. However, if any of these exercises do cause an increase in pain in your knee joint I would advise you to stop. If your knee pain is persistent or increasing, I recommend that you go get it checked out by a medical professional (I would recommend consulting with a physical therapist, but I might be a little bit biased!!). These exercises are presented in order of easiest (exercises I don’t anticipate any knee pain at all) to hardest (exercises where there may be some discomfort depending on what type of knee pain you’re experiencing). I encourage you to try as many as you can as long as they’re pain-free! Here we go! Warm up Your warm up is CRUCIAL to any workout if your knees are painful. A bike is going to be your best friend – your feet are in constant contact with the petals and there is virtually no impact. Second to the bike would be an elliptical. Again – constant contact with the petals minimizes ground forces, but this one’s a little more aggressive as you’re weight-bearing on the joint. 5-10 minutes (even longer if it’s feeling good!) The Workout Straight Leg Raises Great exercise for the front of the hips; try to keep your leg locked out as straight as possible (really concentrating on firing the quad muscle on the front of the leg). Can be made more difficult with an ankle weight. 3 sets of 10-20 reps on each leg Sidelying Abduction A lot of times knee pain can be attributed to knee instability and glute weakness. Sidelying abduction is a great way to target the glutes and get you to fire them a little more effectively during activity. 3 sets of 10-20 reps on each leg Bridges with Ball Squeeze Doing bridges are great for the butt and back; throwing a ball (or pillow) between your knees adds one more muscle group to the mix to strengthen the knee joint. Really focus on smashing your glutes and squeezing that pillow throughout the motion. 3 sets of 10-20 reps Heel Raises Great way to sculpt and strengthen the calves! Can be done on the floor or up on a stair for a little more challenge. 3 sets of 20 reps Lateral Band Walks Resistance band is one of my favorite tools to use in strength training. Put it around your ankles, get in a semi-crouched position, and walk sideways with it. Take a big step with your leading foot and just a half step with your trailing foot so there’s some tension on the band at all times. 3 sets of 10 on each leg (10 left, 10 right; repeated 3 times) Lateral Step Ups One of the most common problems I run into with knee pain is nobody ever does anything side-to-side. These lateral step-ups are a great way to kick on hip abductors and stabilize your knee joint. Start with a 4 inch step and work up from there assuming it’s pain-free. 3 sets of 10 on each leg Step Ups Start small (4 inch box) and progress up from there. Try to focus on keeping your knee right over your toes throughout the motion. 3 sets of 10 on each leg Single-Leg Deadlift One of my all-time favorite leg exercises to work the butt, hamstrings, and glutes. It’s a lot of weight to bear through your knee (might be aggravating to meniscus injuries and arthritis), but if you can do it without pain it’s one of the best for strength and function. Add a weight (dumbbell or kettlebell) for some added resistance. 3 sets of 10 on each leg And there you have them! 8 great exercises in one awesome workout that’s easy on the knees but big on strength! So how can you get rid of your knee pain? What are some tips and exercises to help you eliminate it altogether? Check out some of these other great posts from Tone-and-Tighten.com to help you feel better (click on the picture to be taken to the post): Questions or comments? Leave me a comment below or you can always email me at ToneandTightenFitness{at}gmail.com Make it happen, Jared Disclaimer: The information presented in this post designed to be used for informational purposes only. The diagnoses and treatment plans outlined are extremely generalized and may or may not be the recommended interventions for your specific problem. If you are experiencing pain, you are encouraged to consult a healthcare provider to determine the best treatment plan that will be in your best interest individual. Tone and Tighten claims exemption from accident, injury, or perpetuation of any injury incurred while performing exercises found on this website. The user assumes all risk … and reward !! Know someone who could benefit from this information? 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