10 Exercises to Help Relieve Knee Pain

Do you want to relieve knee pain and that too without taking any steroids or drugs? Certainly, there are several exercises that can improve your flexibility and may help ease your knee pain if it is caused by surgery, arthritis, or an injury.

This article will help you not only understand the causes of knee pain but also provide the best exercises to manage knee pain and strengthen your knee and joints, making them less vulnerable to future injuries and pain.

What are the Causes of Knee Pain? 

Limited physical activity, excessive alcohol consumption, and poor diet can contribute to knee pain, but they are not the only causes. Genetic predisposition, injuries, or other health conditions could also lead to knee pain in teenagers.

Top 10 Exercises for Knee Pain

Before we move towards discussing the best exercises for making knee muscles strong and getting rid of pain, it is important to note that these exercises have been recommended by physiotherapists. Therefore, performing these exercises correctly for knee pain management will provide stability and shouldn’t cause adverse complications.

The following exercises range from easy to medium to high level. Also, even if you manage to do only 5-6 exercises out of the 10, it will improve your strength level and enhance your ability to manage knee pain. 

1) Quad Set

• Sit down on the ground with both knees extended out in front of you. 
• Push your knee down into the floor activating your quadriceps muscles. 
• Hold that contraction for 5 to 10 seconds, then relax your muscle for about a second before contracting it again. Repeat the process. 

3 sets of about 10-second holds are typically recommended by physiotherapists. 

2) Straight Leg Raise

Now, it’s time to progress the quad set to a new set. The seating position will be the same as that of a quad set. 

• Sit on the ground with your legs out extended. 
• Activate your quadriceps muscles, like that in a quad set.
• Keep your leg locked out straight, slowly raise it off the ground about 16-18 inches, and then slowly lower it back down to the starting point.

3 sets of 10-20 reps are usually recommended by physiotherapists. 

3) Bridges

It’s time to pump hamstring muscles with bridge exercises. 

• Lay down on your back with your knees bent 
• Contract your glutes and quad and lift your hips up off the ground as high as you can. 
• Hold that position for about 3 seconds and then slowly return back down to the starting position. 

3 sets of about 10-15 repetitions are generally recommended. 

4) Calf Exercises

I am sure all of us have done this exercise when we were kids. If you haven’t, doesn’t matter; do it now as keeping your ankles strong is a great way to keep your knee healthy. 

• Start with standing on the edge of a stair with your legs straight. 
• Let your heels drop below the level of your toes, then contract your calf muscles to rise onto your toes.

3 sets of 20 repetitions are usually good for enhancing your calf performance. 

5) Knee Extension

This exercise is also called the long arc quad. For this exercise, 

• Sit on the edge of a table, chair, or bed.
• Straighten one leg and then contract the thigh muscle. 
• Let the knee bend to return the foot back down to the floor. 
• Again raise your leg so that muscle in the thigh is fully contracted and then lower it down back. 
• Do the same with the other leg too. 

3 sets of 10-15 repetitions are generally recommended. 

6) Wall Sits

It’s time to introduce some weight-bearing exercises to your knees. A great way to start with is wall sits. 

• Back up to a wall and then slide down until your knees are at a 90-degree angle. 
• Hold that pose for as long as you can – 20 to 60 seconds or even further. 

3 sets hold for 20-60 seconds. 

7) Body Weight Squats

This exercise is also called air squats. During this exercise;

• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. 
• Drop down into as low a squat as you can. 
• Use your quads and your glutes to pull yourself up. 
• The ideal position to do this exercise is that your thighs need to be parallel to the ground but if pain is your limiting factor, go as low as you comfortably can. 

3 sets of 10-20 reps are generally recommended. 

8) Side Leg Raises

• Sleep on the floor on one side – your legs must be stacked on top of each other. 
• Raise your upper leg as much as you can. 
• When the leg reaches its limit, pause for 5 seconds, and then lower it down. 
• Apply the same procedure with the other leg too. 

 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions for each leg are recommended. 

9) Deadlift

This exercise is a little hard compared to the previous ones but an important one. It is done while standing on a single leg. 

• Stand on one leg with a slight bend in your knee hinge at your hips to drop your torso down towards the ground as the opposite leg lifts up towards the ceiling. 
• Use your glute on the side that you are standing on to pull yourself back into an upright position. 
• Try to keep your back straight and keep your hips level with the ground during performing this exercise. 

3 sets of 10-15 repetitions on each side are generally advised for optimal results. 

10) Bulgarian Split Squat

To manage your pain in the long run, add this exercise to your to-do list.

• Stand about a foot or so in front of a chair with your back towards the chair. 
• Bend one leg and put your foot up on the chair behind you. 
• Now, bend the leg that’s on the ground until you drop down into a lunge position. 
• Now, engage the quads or glutes to return to the starting position.

3 sets of 10-15 repetitions on each side. 

Takeaway

The above-mentioned exercises are a great way to stress your quads and also introduce a ton of hip flexion and extension, making it a great exercise for your glutes. Moreover, they can help you build muscles around the knees strong which leads to healthy knees. 

If you want to relieve your pain, with or without medicine, please visit Euromed Clinic. With the help of highly-qualified physical trainers, certified physiotherapists, and experienced orthopedics, we offer tailored treatment to all those seeking to manage their knee pains. Now is the time to confirm your booking by calling us at +971 4 394 5422. You can also fill out and submit the provided form for consultation.