5 Exercises to Strengthen Your Knees

Knee pain can create a vicious circle. Your knee pain causes you to decrease your activity, which negatively impacts your cardiovascular stamina and muscle strength, which in turn leads to more knee pain. It is much better to maintain or even improve the strength around the knee joints in order to help overcome knee pain.

This is especially important when dealing with any type of knee arthritis.

Below we have shared 5 simple exercises designed to safely strengthen your knees.

1 . Monster Band Walk

Basically, begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Wrap the mini-band just above your knees.

Slightly bend your knees and hinge through your hips to move into an athletic position.

Take a big step to the side with one foot and follow the movement with your other foot and then repeat the movement.

Monster Band Walk

Start off with 1 set of 5 repetitions on each side. Perform the exercise in a smooth controlled movement with a good stop at the end position. The intensity is light to moderate. The purpose of this exercise is to improve balance and hip stability.

Alternative Exercise:

Begin in an upright sitting position with your feet shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips.

Moreover, wrap the mini-band just above your knees. Take a big step to the side with one foot, then return back to the starting position and then repeat the movement on the opposite side.

Alternative Exercise

2. Hip Hinge

Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.

Slightly bend your knees and pivot through your hips to bend your upper body forward. Ideally, your back should be parallel to the floor during exercises to strengthen your knee.

Raise back up and repeat the movement.

Hip Hinge

Start off with 1 set of 5 repetitions. After that, perform the exercise in a smooth controlled movement with a good stop at the end position.

The intensity is light. The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen your glutes and hamstrings.

To Intensify the Exercise:

Basically, begin by standing on the center of the resistance tubing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the ends of the tubing in each hand, creating resistance.

Slightly bend your knees and pivot through your hips to bend your upper body forward. Ideally, your back should be parallel to the floor and then raise back up and repeat the movement.

Alternative Exercise

3. Static Lunge

Firstly, begin in an upright standing position, keeping your head, shoulders, hips, and legs in alignment. Take a big step back with one foot, then lower your back knee to the ground.

Raise back up and return to the starting position. These exercises strengthen your knee and then repeat the movement on the opposite side.

Basically, if you feel any knee pain, limit the depth of your lunge.

Static Lunge

Start off with 1 set of 5 repetitions on each side. Perform the exercise in a smooth controlled movement with a good stop at the end position. The intensity is light.

Firstly, begin in an upright sitting position with your feet shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips.

Loop the resistant tubing under one foot and then hold the ends of the tubing in each hand.

Lift one knee, then extend your leg in front of your body. Return to the starting position and then repeat the movement.

Banded Leg Press

Start off with 1 set of 5 repetitions on each side. Perform the exercise in a smooth controlled movement with a good stop at the end position. The intensity is light to moderate.

The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen the muscles around the knees and then improve range of motion.

5. Glute Bridge

Lie on your back on the floor with your arms at your sides, relaxing your upper body. Bend your knees and flatten your feet on the floor. Tighten your core, then push from your heels to lift your hips.

Lower your hips down and repeat the movement.

Glute Bridge

Start off with 1 set of 5 repetitions. Perform the exercise in a smooth controlled movement with a good stop at the end position. The intensity is light to moderate. The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen the glutes.

We hope that you'll give these 5 simple exercises a try. Improving your knee strength can help decrease the chance of future injuries, in addition to helping decrease the chance of falls through improved balance. If you are experiencing prolonged knee pain or discomfort, also check our comprehensive Knee Pain Solved program.