If you need to get your knees stronger there are a few knee strength exercises that are really simple to do and will make a big improvement to your fitness.
This first exercise is really good for those who suffer from conditions such as chondromalacia patella. This is an inflammation of the cartlidge beneath the patella ‘knee cap’. This sometimes results because the bones and muscles on the knee are out of alignment.
A really simple exercise that will help is as follows:- Sit comfortably on a chair, try not to tense up, you need to relax, have your thigh parallel with the ground, leg bent and 90 degrees, feet on the ground, tense the thigh, then hold this position for five seconds and release the hold, do the same with the other leg. Complete ten reps on each leg.
It is very important to remember to breath whilst doing these exercises.
The second exercise is a little more tricky but it does help build up the strength in your knee.
Sit in a chair again, then cross your bent legs at the ankle. Push your legs forward with the rear leg then push them back using the front leg. (At first this can seem a little tricky but it is really easy once you get used to it!).
Switch the position of your legs by changing the direction of the cross. If the right leg was in front, move it to the back. Repeat this exercise ten times for each position.
Calf Burns
Would you like to move onto to something a little more challenging?
If your balance is not all that great it may be a good idea to do the following exercise whilst standing on a may, carpet or at least a wooden floor. Try to avoid doing the exercises on a metal or concrete floor.
Make sure you are well balanced, stand upright, toes a little apart, heels together.
Lift your heels up, balance on the balls of your feet. Try to imagine an invisible string fixed to the centre of your head pulling you straight up. Hold this position for five seconds, then lower yourself down slowly. Do ten reps of this. Eventually as you build up strength in your legs and increase your balance, you will be able to increase the amount of time you can stay on the balls of your feet.
Vary the action by bending slightly at the knee while you still have the heels raised. This will bring the thighs (quadriceps or ‘quads’ and hamstrings) as well as the buttocks into play. Straighten up, then lower the heels. Repeat 10 times.
If you can make sure you carry out these knee strengthening exercises a couple of days a week or better still daily, you will have strong, healthy knees in to time at all.
