If you are doing knee strengthening exercises, make sure you follow the principle of progressive overload. This means that as your workout progresses, it will become more intense. You can do this by increasing the weight or reps of the exercise, or decreasing the rest time. Bochnewetch says that this will ensure you continue to challenge yourself and increase your strength.
Include isometric exercises in your workout. This is a workout where you maintain a position in which a muscle or group of muscles are engaged (such as a glute bridge hold or a static lunge). Scantlebury says that focused isometric movements can strengthen the tendons connecting with the muscles that control the knee. This will reduce your risk of knee pain or tendonitis due to weak tendons.
If you are looking for knee pain exercises, it is a good idea to consult a physical therapist to get individualized medical advice on your specific situation. Certain exercises may be contraindicated in certain cases of knee pain and overuse injuries. It is always a good idea to consult a physical therapist for individualized medical advice on your specific situation.
Use a weight that allows you to perform repetitions at a depth between a 6 and 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 (where 10 is the most difficult). Bochnewetch recommends that when you are using weights you select a weight which will allow you to perform repetitions with a depth between 6 and 8 on a difficulty scale of 1-10 (where 10 is the most difficult). Scantlebury says that if it is an isometric exercise, hold for 5 to 10 seconds and then repeat the movement for 5 to 10 repetitions.
Bochnewetch & Scantlebury recommend trying the following exercises to get started with knee strength work. Choose two or three to include in your lower body routine. You can then switch it up every week to go through the list. You can also do them all at once for a lower-body workout that focuses on the quads and glutes. If you are a beginner, pick three or four strikes to complete the exercise.
Warm up your muscles before you begin any of these exercises. You don’t need to do anything complicated; just a simple 5- to 10-minute walk will suffice. You can also do this body-weight routine.
Tools needed: A set of dumbbells, and a resistanceband. If you are new to these routines, start with bodyweight only and then progress until you feel comfortable adding resistance.
