If you are experiencing knee pain or have had knee problems, it can be difficult to find a workout plan that isn’t painful and also incorporates exercises to strengthen bad knees.
There are many exercises available to help alleviate knee pain and help make your knees stronger. One popular choice amongst many people with knee problems is to do aquatic exercises. Aquatic exercises can be done in a swimming pool and help you stretch and exercise your knees without all of the weight and force exerted on your body that you experience outside of the water. This makes it easier to do these exercises without experiencing the same amount of pain. Aquatic exercises are often also referred to as hydrotherapy, especially when the knee pain is related to inflammation of the joint. Hydrotherapy is usually done in a physical therapy clinic and a temperature controlled swimming pool, since warmer water is more soothing for painful knees.
Example aquatic exercises can include walking from one end of the pool to another, standing in the pool and slowly bending the legs, and doing squats. If you are interested in strengthening your bad knees with aquatic exercises, you may want to check with your local swimming pool to see if they offer any classes or activities, as many often do for seniors or as physical therapy programs.
Many people with knee pain and problems have also found some help with doing yoga exercises. Yoga is generally a low impact exercise that helps improve flexibility. Improved flexibility can help with some knee pain, depending on the cause. While advanced Yoga may be too difficult or not be the solution, starting out with beginners Yoga exercises can help quite a bit. Certain yoga exercises can also be a good way to get exercise without having to worry about the strain and stress of the workout on your knees.
Speaking to your doctor or a physical therapy expert can also give you ideas for exercises to do to help with knee pain and make your knees stronger. The video below shows a few examples of physical therapy exercises for your knees.
While these exercises can be done on your own, you will still want to be sure that you talk to a doctor or a physical therapist about what to do for your knees, since every individual knee problem and knee pain may come from different causes and therefore respond the best to different treatments.
Strengthening your knees with exercise can make it possible to avoid knee surgery or be reliant on pain medications. Be sure before starting any exercises to strengthen bad knees or to help with knee pain you speak to your doctor to make sure the exercises you choose do not put too much stress on your knees or cause further problems.
Have any suggestions for exercises to strengthen bad knees? Please share them in the comments below.