Let’s get the obvious out of the way: knee discomfort sucks. If you are a certain age or have led an active life, you have probably bent your knee a certain way and felt a twinge. Yep, my bloody knee hurts. If you’re anything like me, you ignore it and hope it goes away because that’s what men do.
However, if it persists, these exercises are for you. The keys to exercising with knee discomfort are to avoid what hurts and to exercise around the pain rather than through it.
Before proceeding, here are some common causes of knee discomfort.
Common Causes Of Knee Discomfort
Here are some common causes of knee pain
Patellofemoral pain syndrome, or generalized pain in front of the kneecap
Meniscus tears, the padding between your knee joints
Degeneration of the knee joint from years of training and playing
Specific tissues in the knees, such as ligaments and tendons, are damaged.
Note: If you’ve experienced knee discomfort for an extended period, please consult a medical professional. This advice is intended for individuals experiencing undiagnosed knee soreness and should not be used as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment.
If your knee is bothering you or you have a friend with knee discomfort, try one of these three exercises.
3 Exercises To Improve Knee Discomfort
Two of the exercises below aim to strengthen the tendon safely, and the other is an innovative exercise developed by a friend of mine, Andrew Heming, who blew out his knee and created it to train his leg.
If any of these exercises aggravate an already sore knee, move on to the next one.
Eccentric Step Up
The eccentric muscle contraction is the strongest, and the negative step-up capitalizes on it. It helps to balance out imbalances between sides, and it distributes the load evenly across the glutes, allowing you to strengthen the knee without placing all the load on it.
How to do It:
Place one foot on a bench or box so that your knee is bent at a 90-degree angle and your shin is vertical.
Then, step up, pushing through the front foot until your feet are level with each other.
Slowly lower back to the starting position, taking at least three seconds.
Reset and repeat for the desired number of reps, then repeat on the other side.
Sets & Reps: Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps per side, resting 90 seconds between sets.
Straight Leg Hip Lift
From my buddy and excellent strength coach, Andrew Heming. who was experiencing knee issues a while back. With the straight-leg hip lift, you are training around the knee but strengthening the muscles needed for good knee health. You’ll be strengthening the glutes, hamstrings, and calves without bending or loading the knee.
How to do it:
Note: The description differs from the video because the setup is complex. But if you can do it, by all means go for it.
Lie face up on the ground and place the heel of one foot on an inclined bench or other sturdy object.
Pull the opposite knee to your chest.
Drive the ball of your heel into the bench until you feel a heavy contraction in your glute muscles.
Pause for a beat and slowly lower down to the starting position.
Reset and repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch sides.
Sets & Reps:. Due to the bodyweight nature, perform 2 to 3 times per week for 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions.
Iceskater And Stick
Iceskaters test your strength, balance, and coordination while training your adductors, glutes, and quadriceps, all of which are beneficial for your knee health. The lateral movement strengthens your knee joint in a different plane of motion, and, as you’ll see in the video, it can be progressed or regressed depending on your level of knee pain.
How to do it:
Note: You can complete this exercise barefoot or wearing shoes.
Stand on your right leg with your left leg bent at the knee.
Bring your left leg behind you, jump laterally, and land on your left foot.
Stick the landing, reset, and jump to the opposite side.
Continue alternating sides for reps.
Sets & Reps: Perform this exercise as a warm-up for 8 to 10 reps on each side, or incorporate it into your workout for 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps, once or twice a week.
Wrapping Up
I’m not a physical therapist, but as a trainer, I need to find ways for clients to strengthen their knees without discomfort. When performed well, these three exercises will strengthen the knee joint and the muscles surrounding the knee to reduce your knee suck.
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