6 of the best exercises to strengthen your knees

A photo of a woman performing a wall squat

(Image credit: SrdjanPav)

Whether yous're a runner, a cyclist, or a weight lifter, strong knees are of import for performing at your best. Merely how tin yous strengthen your knees to avoid human knee pain, and how often should you exist calculation these exercises to your preparation routine? Below, nosotros've rounded up some of the best exercises to build force in your knees.

The knee is the largest joint in the trunk, and we apply our knees every twenty-four hour period for simple activities like walking or climbing stairs. Every bit a result, knee injuries are mutual, and according to one study, runner'south knee is one of the most mutual sporting injuries out there. While it might exist tempting to sit down on the couch and put your anxiety up when y'all feel knee joint pain, this isn't always the best solution. Instead, doing exercises that strengthen and support the knee can help alleviate knee pain, and prevent further injuries from occurring.

Of course, it goes without proverb that if yous are experiencing severe hurting in your knee, it's worth checking with your physician or physical therapist. If at any point you find one of the exercises on this listing hurts your knee, terminate immediately and attempt something else, or seek medical attention.

The best knee-strengthening exercises

Knee strengthening exercises won't strengthen the knee joint itself, rather the muscles surrounding information technology. Before practicing these exercises, it's best to do a gentle warm-up, such every bit a walk, jog, or gentle cycle on a bike.

an illustration of a woman doing a seated leg raise — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

1. Directly leg lifts

To do this exercise, start by sitting directly in a chair, with your feet on the floor and your knees bent. Engaging the muscles in your thigh, lift ane leg upwards until information technology is extended directly out in front end of y'all, with your foot flexed and your toes pointing towards the ceiling. Hold at the top for a few seconds, before lowering your leg and repeating on the other side.

This do targets your hamstrings. To increment the intensity, loop a resistance band around the talocrural joint of the leg y'all are raising (we've found the all-time resistance bands for home workouts hither), or add ankle weights to your legs. Alternatively, you can do the practice lying on the floor, straightening the leg you are raising, and keeping the resting leg bent, with the foot pressed into your practise mat (we've found the best yoga mats here). Start by doing 3 sets of 10 leg lifts on each side.

an illustration of a woman doing a wall squat — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

two. Wall squats

Despite what you might remember, squats are actually great for strengthening the knees and for your overall human knee health. That said, they can put actress pressure on the knee joint joint if they are done with incorrect form, and so wall squats are oftentimes a safe alternative.

To practice wall squats, stand with your anxiety hip-width apart, with your back flat against the wall. Your feet should be about two feet out from the wall. While keeping your back and shoulders pressed into the wall, squat downward, until your knees are at around 90-degrees, as if you're sitting in a chair. Pause for five seconds in the squat, before raising upwardly to your starting position.

This exercise targets the glutes and quads. Go on the do slow and controlled, and effort and do 3 sets of 10 wall squats to start.

an illustration of a woman doing a side leg lift — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

3. Side leg lifts

Side leg lifts target the quads and the inner thighs. To practice this exercise, kickoff past lying on your side, with your legs and hips stacked on meridian of each other. Bracing your cadre, flex the foot of the top leg, and slowly raise it up towards the ceiling to about shoulder height. If yous feel unbalanced, you might find it easier to slightly curve the lower leg. Pause at the top, earlier lowering the leg back down. Continue the entire movement tedious and controlled, and aim for three sets of 10 leg lifts on each leg.

To make the exercise harder, add a resistance band above the knees to increase the resistance, add talocrural joint weights, or agree a dumbbell against the tiptop leg as you enhance and lower it. You lot tin can as well increase the repetitions, or add together some pulses to the top of the motion.

an illustration of a woman doing step-ups — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

iv. Stride-ups

Footstep-ups are a vivid way to strengthen your knees, as they target your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and hips. For this exercise, you'll demand a step, or box to step on to.

To do a footstep-up, stand up in front end of a step, and put one foot onto the stride, keeping the other on the ground. Engaging your glutes, step slowly up, keeping the leg stretched, and tap the foot onto the pace, earlier slowly lowering dorsum down. You tin can agree onto a wall or chair for support if you lot need information technology. To make the exercise harder, hold a dumbbell in each mitt. Aim for three sets of 10 footstep-ups on each leg to starting time with.

a photo of a woman doing calf raises — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

5. Calf raises

Equally their name suggests, calf raises target the calf muscles. To do a dogie raise, stand on a step or a box, with your anxiety hip-width apart. Put your weight forward onto your toes, and raise up onto your tip-toes. Intermission at the top, then lower back to your starting position. You might need to hold onto a wall or chair for support.

To make the exercise harder, hold onto dumbbells in each hand, or a barbell on the back. Go on the entire move slow and controlled, and beginning by doing iii sets of 12 repetitions.

an illustration of a woman doing hamstring curls — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

6. Hamstring curls

Last, only past no ways to the lowest degree, strengthen your hamstrings past doing hamstring curls. To do a hamstring curlicue, stand facing a chair, belongings onto it for back up. Flexing your pes, curl one leg up towards your bottom, keeping your thighs and knees in line with each other.

To brand the exercise harder, put a resistance band around your ankles, or add together talocrural joint weights. Aim for three sets of 12 hamstring curls on each leg.

Looking for more workout inspiration? We've found the best ab workouts you can practise for free, an exercise that'southward better than squats at edifice your glutes, and ane of the best ab exercises when it comes to sculpting a slimmer waistline.

Jane McGuire is Tom'due south Guide's Fitness editor, which ways she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the by 4 years, so knows what to look for when finding a skilful running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll notice Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy.

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6 of the best exercises to strengthen your knees