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Do you or perhaps someone in your circle suffer from knee pain? If your answer is yes, this article may be of particular interest to you. We use our knees for everything, from walking to jumping, and knee pain is hard to shake off. Keep reading to find out more about the 5 exercises for knee pain.
A simple slip off the curb during your walk, even overdoing it at the gym can cause a knee or other sports injuries. We are always seeking ways to address symptoms like pain and swelling to speed up recovery. Traditional therapy aside, home exercise and even wellness tools like foot massagers or other tech tools are gaining in popularity as they are often more accessible and affordable. They can offer both relief for the pain and other related symptoms while helping to expedite your recovery.
Try our 5 exercises to reduce knee pain to increase your strength overall in this area. All positions simply utilize your own body weight alleviating the need for any additional weights or add-ons. Repeat these for both sides of your body for best results.
We here at Lifepro recommend you progress with these exercises – using accessories like weights or resistance bands when you are ready are great ways to bring challenge and more gains to your routine. Boost recovery byt complementing with other tools like our Sonic Handheld Percussion Massage Gun for after you’ve done the work here!
#1 Clam Shells
This exercise strengthens your hips, legs and core while helping tone the glutes and stabilizing your pelvic floor. It can even help relieve low back tension. Like the name, your shape and movement mimics a clam shell. This is a fave here at Lifepro fitness for toning those inner thighs. You can also try a gun massager from our many self care tools to warm up before or recover after this move especially if you have decreased blood flow.Laying on your side one leg aligned on top of the other, knees bent into a 45 degree angle. Ensure hips are straight and you are not leaning back or forward. Rest your head on your bottom arm using the opposite arm for stability. Keep your feet together and engage your core while you raise your upper leg (led by your knee) as high as your range allows and then slower lower back down. Repeat for 10-15 reps without shifting your hips or pelvis and keeping your lower leg on the floor. Gun massager, lifepro fitness, decreased blood flow
#2 Bridging
These are phenomenal for strengthening the abs, glutes and hamstrings and fairly easy to perform. You’ll benefit from increased blood flow between the legs and torso and many of our Lifepro members love doing this exercise on their vibration plate for additional benefit.Lying down on your back, bend knees to bring feet flat on the floor. Raise hips up off the floor until they are in a straight line with your knees and shoulders, engaging your core and glutes to hold this opposition for 3-5 seconds. Lower to starting position repeating this movement for 8-10 reps.
#3 Hip Abduction
Abduction exercises can offer the stress and pain relief that you are looking for while strengthening and toning this area. We use these groups of muscles to keep us stable when walking, when we get out of bed or our car, and when we take a step sideways. Weak hip abductors can contribute to hip and knee pain or more serious concerns. Using tools like a foot massager or or even going for a traditional massage can help manage pain but building strength and stability are key for overall better function.
Stand on the floor with a chair or edge of a counter to place hands on for stability. Keep a nice tight core core to ensure good posture, (not leaning forward, backward or to one side) Slowly draw your target leg away from your body lifting out to your side then bring your leg slowly back into a standing position. Repeat this for 8-10 reps keeping movement smooth and controlled, no bouncing or swinging out of posture, just work within your range of motion.
#4 Straight Leg Raise
Ideal exercise to target the quads and activate them to “switch on” again to help restore nerve function. properly. Laying flat on your back with arms at your side, extend your target leg out flat and keep the opposite leg bent with your foot flat on the floor for back support. WIth extended leg, lock your knee pushing it down to the ground and point toes up - you will feel this activate your quad. Slowly raise this leg up until your thighs meet, then slowly lower your leg back down. Complete 6-8 reps keeping your leg straight as possible. Promotes health in this joint and supporting muscle groups.
#5 Quadruped Hydrant
Our final exercise is a staple in many rehab programs as it’s great for strengthening your hips, glutes and core. You will resemble a dog at a fire hydrant thus the name of this pose which starts you on all fours.
Position yourself on the floor with hands under shoulders and knees under hips forming a box shape. Keep a straight spine and neck by engaging your core. Keeping your leg bent, raise one leg forward, circling out to the side, around and back to your starting position slowly completing a circle with your knee. Repeat this movement for 4-5 reps, make sure you are breathing!
You’ll feel the burn in the quads/glutes in this one so you should also check out the benefits of using a massage gun. Besides feeling amazing you can easily boost circulation and lymph for faster recovery! It’s like having your own personal masseuse in your back pocket! Great for a quick warm up or to manage knee pain anytime it surfaces.
Author
Joel Gottehrer is the Co-Founder of Lifepro Fitness and has dedicated his life to helping people transform theirs. With over 12 years of experience in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and owner of two personal training studios, Joel has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to helping transform lives. After suffering from physical injuries, Joel and his business partner, Abraham Brach, came together with a common goal to alleviate the pain caused by their injuries.
They continued to find themselves disappointed with the results stemming from various products promising to relieve their pain, and with that – Lifepro Fitness was born. Joel's mission is to have a positive impact on millions of lives with the Lifepro brand. Whether it's finding new and innovative ways to help people recover from injuries or developing products to improve overall wellness, Joel is always looking for ways to push the boundaries. Thanks to his commitment to help people live their lives free of pain, Lifepro has been able to do this for thousands of people since its founding in 2017.
