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The ability to move easily with no pain or stiffness is an incredible blessing. However, we tend to take it for granted until it’s gone.
By setting aside time every day to strengthen the muscles of your knees, you can help decrease or even eliminate the throbbing pain. This will enable you to accomplish your day-to-day activities and errands without pain or stiffness.
There are a lot of great resources on the web that can help you in understanding the
causes of your pain. You can get many great tips on The Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger Point Therapy
In this article, we will be looking at a few of the causes of knee pain and leg exercises for bad knees that you can do to strengthen the muscles to eliminate those pains.
Bad Knees? What Causes Them?
Many people experience knee pain at some point in their lives. Any physical activity can cause muscle strains or tendonitis, and progressively cause strain or damage to tendons and ligaments. For some, this pain can be extreme to the point where it restricts their everyday movements.
For other people, minor pains or stiffness might be a constant obstacle to living the dynamic life they want. In either case, odds are that you have a knee issue that shouldn’t be overlooked. The first step to addressing this pain is understanding what causes it. Here are a few things that may be causing that knee pain.
Inflammation
For those in their 40s, much of your pain could be caused by joint inflammation. If you wake up with stiff and achy joints, this could be the culprit. Inflammation can be from arthritis, bursitis, or other medical conditions.
Cartilage Erosion
You can tell if this is part of the problem easily. Cartilage erosion will be followed by popping, swelling, or any number of other sudden occurrences. This loss of cartilage can cause severe pain and lead to many more problems.
Misalignment
This may seem strange, but the way you stand or walk may be causing the pain you are feeling. A minute misalignment of your posture can cause extra weight to be distributed to your knees, causing permanent damage.
These are just some of the issues that could be causing your knee pain, but there are ways to combat them. Daily exercise is one such method.
Exercises
The exercises we will discuss center around reinforcing the primary muscle groups that influence the movement of your knees. A couple of straightforward activities done every day will guarantee you have the quality and adaptability to move uninhibited without pain. Obviously, that is a good thing.
Here are some basic exercises you can add to your daily routine to strengthen your knees and relieve some of that pain…
Hip Hinge
Bending at the hips uses both the hamstrings and the glutes. The process of standing back up can be key in how that exerted energy is transferred through the knee joint and muscles. That means, by strengthening these muscles, you will be strengthening your knee joint, as well.
Here is how you do this exercise.
- Stand with your feet parallel and separated. Each should be perpendicular to your shoulders. Then, lay each hand on the corresponding hip.
- Bend your knees slightly and then carefully bed over from the waist. Reallocate your weight to your heel and reach your hands backward.
- Stop when you begin to feel a stretch in the hamstring and then return to your upright position.
- Tighten your glutes and hamstrings as you reach a full standing position. Repeat for 2-3 sets with 12 reps in each set.
Leg Extension
This exercise concentrates on the quad muscle grouping. By strengthening the quadriceps, you will be improving the stabilization of the joint. This, in turn, will help cushion your knee from the impact of everyday wear and tear.
Here is how you do this exercise.
- Sit in a chair with your back straight.
- Then, extend one leg until it is straight but not locked. Make sure the leg is parallel to the floor with your toes pointed towards the sky.
- Hold for a second and then lower slowly back to its beginning position.
- Repeat this for 2-3 sets of 12 reps each with each leg.
Chair Squats
The entire lower body is worked with this exercise but, in particular, the quads and hamstrings. You need to make sure your posture is perfect, and use a doorway or blank wall.
Here is how you do this exercise…
- Face the wall and step one foot back. Then, place your chair behind you.
- Now, spread your feet apart until they are squarely under your hips.
- Lower your body down until you are sitting in the chair.
- Try to tighten your core as you do this.
- Then, straighten your legs and stand up.
- Repeat this for 2-3 sets of 12 reps each.
Plank Hold w/Knee Flex
A lot of exercises engage different muscles at different times. With this one, you will be using both your quads and hamstrings at the same time.
Here is how you do this exercise…
- Lay in a plank position on the ground.
- Use your elbows to hold your position.
- Then, lift one leg off the floor just a little.
- Next, bend you your knee, bringing your heel up toward your buttocks. While doing this, tighten your hamstring.
- Don’t drop your leg or hips and extend your leg out completely.
- Repeat this for 2-3 sets of 12 reps each.
There are many other great exercises you can do to help strengthen your knee. These are just a few to get you started.
Final Thoughts
Everybody ought to be able to move without knee pain, no matter your age or physical capacity. These activities are a great way to start or end your day. They are also easy to do without even leaving the comfort of your home.
These exercises are not the only way to treat your pain (check out the Feel Good Knees website), but the first step is to pay attention to your body.