Exercising with Knee Damage
Working out on your own when you have damaged knees can be difficult!
This post is intended to be a supplement for my clients who are focused on minimizing knee pain and building knee strength. It is not designed to replace the advice of a physician or physical therapist. Individualized instructions they may provide which will focus on your specific knee problem(s).
Elements of the routine include Stretching, Strengthening and Cardiovascular exercise.
Before any of these exercises do a warmup such as walking, rowing or riding a stationary bike at a low to moderate level for 5-10 minutes. At the end of your workout be sure to cool down and stretch again. The overall goals of both stretching and strengthening are to increase flexibility, range of motion and muscle strength in the muscles around the knee including the: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Adductors, Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Maximus (Knee Conditioning Program, n.d.). In the Cardiovascular section, the reader will find low impact suggestions for a healthy heart and overall fitness.
No doubt if you are training with me you will recognize the names of most of these exercises. Contact me at any time for a refresher or to add new exercises to your routine!
Stretching
Allow 5 to 10 minutes every day. Consider starting your day with these stretches so they become part of your normal routine. During days when you add strength and cardiovascular training, do these simple exercises again after your warm up and before your other exercises.
Suggestions from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (Knee Conditioning Program, n.d.)
- Heel Cord Stretch
- Standing Quadriceps Stretch
- Supine Hamstring Stretch
Suggestions based on Yoga poses that stretch the backs of the legs:
- Reclining Hip Stretch: Supta Panagushtasana III
- Staff Pose: Dandasana
- Downward Dog: Adho Mukha Svanasana
Strengthening
Allow 10 – 15 minutes three to five times per week.
Suggestions from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (Knee Conditioning Program, n.d.):
- Half Squats
- Hamstring Curls
- Calf Raises
- Leg Extensions
- Straight Leg Raises
- Straight-Leg Raises (Prone)
- Hip Abduction
- Hip Adduction
- Leg Presses
Suggestions based on Yoga poses that strengthen the legs:
- Triangle Pose: Trikonasana
- Extended Side Angle: Utthita Parsvakonasana
- All Warrior Poses: Virabhadrasana 1-3
Cardiovascular
Depending on your overall fitness level and knee strength, you may want to begin in a low-impact controlled environment such as your gym. Start with 15-30 minutes three to five times per week and increase or decrease your time in order to minimize knee pain (Mich, 2014). Also, you can consider breaking up your cardiovascular routine into 10 minute increments (Jampolis, 2009). You can start small while you build up your muscles! Additionally, don’t forget that simple activities like gardening, walking the dog, and cleaning may be appropriate starting places (Jampolis, 2009).
Consider the following activities:
- Swimming
- Exercise Ball Routines
- Cycling
Bibliography
Exercise for stronger knees and hips. (n.d.). Retrieved from Harvard Health Publications-Harvard Medical School: www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/exercise-for-stronger-knee-and-hips
Jampolis, D. M. (2009). CNN Health. Retrieved from CNN Health: www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/expert.q.a/10/02/knee.pain.exercise.jampolis
Knee Conditioning Program. (n.d.). Retrieved from American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: www.orthoinfo.aaos.org/PDFs/Rehab_Knee_6.pdf
Mich, H. (2014). Best Exercises for Swollen Knee Soft Tissue. Retrieved from Livestrong: www.livestrong.com/article/389539-the-best-exercises-for-swollen-knee-soft-tissue
Additional Resources
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00664
http://www.yogajournal.com/category/poses/