How to Do Knee Exercises

By learning how to do daily knee exercises, you can keep them in top form and help avoid a knee injury. Follow these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Learn How to Do Knee Exercises

1. Spend a few moments stretching your legs to warm up. You can do this while standing and reaching for the floor, or by sitting on the floor and taking turns gently stretching each leg. Remember to bend your knees several times as well during this process to loosen up the knee joint.
2. Start strengthening each knee, one at a time. While sitting in a chair, extend your leg straight out in front of you and tighten the muscles in your upper thigh. Keeping your leg and knee straight, push your heel out and point your toes. Doing this exercise daily will quickly build up strength in your knees.
3. Do a slight variation of the above exercise by holding both legs straight out in front of you and crossing your ankles. Then press down with the leg on top and upward with the leg on the bottom to create resistance. Repeat after changing leg positions. (Note: If you cannot hold both legs out straight, it's okay to bend your knees. However, do keep your back straight at all times.)
4. Escalate your knee exercise regimen by advancing to knee dips. Stand with your feet spread apart slightly. Then lift your left leg off the floor a few inches and then lower yourself to 'dip' gently while using your right leg for balance. (Note: Only dip a few inches and keep your knees straight and forward at all times.) Repeat with your right leg.
5. Cool down after doing your knee exercises with gentle stretching once more.

Tips & Warnings

• It's a good idea to do knee exercises on a daily basis, providing you don't have any chronic physical issues involving either knee.
• Strength training should always be followed by stretching to make your knee exercises most effective.
• If you find that you have inadvertently stretched or strained your knee, apply ice and give the exercises a rest for a few days.
• If you are experiencing knee pain or are lacking in range of motion, discuss which knee exercises are appropriate for you with your physician.