Kneed Help?

Believe it or not exercise may be the best medicine for achy knees. As a knee pain sufferer myself, I know this to be true. When you strengthen the muscles around the joint it protects you from injury by decreasing stress on the knee.

Here are some tips for good form and technique.

First and Foremost!

Never bend your legs to a point where your knees stick out past your toes. Doing that puts a lot of pressure under your kneecap. When you look down you should always see the tops of your shoelaces. This is the cardinal rule, make adjustments as needed. This not only applies to the following exercises but also when you're stretching or doing aerobic activities such as step aerobics.

Do the following two or three times per week, do 10 to 12 repetitions except where stated.

Best Exercises:

Hamstring Stretch
Lie on your back with your right leg flat on the floor. Loop a towel or rope around your left foot and pull your leg as far as comfortable toward your chest, while keeping a slight bend at the knee. Keep your back pressed to the floor throughout the stretch. If your back comes off of the floor alter the position of the leg. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds and then release. Repeat three or four times with each leg. Do this stretch five or six times a week, or everyday if you wish.

Step-ups
Using a bench or a staircase, (or an aerobic step if you have one), step up onto the apparatus with your right foot. Tap your left foot on the top of the step, and then lower. As you step up, your knee should be directly over your ankle. Repeat with your left foot.

Teaser Squats
Stand about 12 inches away from the front of a chair with your feet about hip width apart and your toes forward. Bending at the hips, slowly lower yourself halfway down to the chair. As you are declining put your arms straight out in front of you for balance, keep your abs tight, and check that your knees stay behind your toes.

Side-lying Leg Lifts
Lie on your right side, legs straight and together, with your right arm supporting your head. Keeping your left foot flexed and your body straight, slowly lift your left leg to about shoulder height, then slowly lower. Repeat with your right leg. For more of a challenge and resistance, wear ankle weights above the knee, or hold a weight on the leg you are raising.

Inner-thigh Leg Lifts
Lie on your right side, slightly back on your butt. Bend your left leg and place it behind your right leg with your left foot flat on the floor and your right leg straight. Support your head with your right arm. Slowly lift your right leg about 3 to 5 inches from the ground, then lower. Repeat with your left leg. For more of a challenge and resistance, wear ankle weights above the knee, or hold a weight on the leg you are raising.

Straight-Leg Raises
Sit with your back against a wall, right leg straight and left leg bent with your foot flat on the floor. Slowly raise your right leg straight up about 12 inches off the floor. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat with your left leg. For more of a challenge and resistance, wear ankle weights above the knee, or hold a weight on the leg you are raising.

Short-Arc Knee Extensions
In the same starting position as the straight-leg raises, put a ball (about the size of a basketball) under your left knee so that your leg is bent. Slowly straighten your leg. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Calf Raises
Using a chair or wall for balance, stand with your feet about hip width apart, toes straight ahead. Slowly lift your heels off the floor, rising up onto your toes. Hold, then slowly lower. For more of a challenge, place a solid object 1 or 2 inches high under the ball of your foot and follow the instructions above.


AVOID These Exercises:

A few of the following exercises can be done safely if you have chronic knee problems; they're on this list because they're more likely to be done improperly. The exercises above are safer, while still giving you similar results. If you work out a facility or gym ask to have a trainer watch your form and make corrections. Most gyms will not charge for this, if they do it's time to look for a new gym.

Hurdler's stretches
Lunges
Deep squats
Full-arc knee extensions