9 Effective Exercises to Relieve Knee Pain

Knee pain is common for people in various age groups and is caused by factors like aging, muscle imbalance, and over-exertion of your knees. The pain can make it difficult to perform daily activities.

Fortunately, specific exercises can help relieve the pain by strengthening the muscles around the knee joint.

In this article, we look into some of these targeted exercises to reduce stiffness and provide long-term relief. These nine exercises will strengthen the muscles around the knees, increase flexibility, improve knee function, reduce pain, and prevent future discomfort.

Begin today and work towards strong and healthy knees.

1. Stretch Quad Half Kneeling

This exercise targets the quadriceps, improves flexibility, and relieves tension in muscles around the knee. It helps maintain knee health and reduce stiffness, making it easier to move and bend your knee.

1. Half kneel on the left leg
2. Lean forward slowly and keep your hips and back straight
3. Repeat with the right leg
4. Repeat one set of four repetitions, twice a day

2. Hip or Knee Stretch

This exercise increases the flexibility of both the hip and knee joints. It relieves tightness in the hip flexors and hamstrings, reducing knee discomfort and improving mobility.

1. Lay down on your back and bend your knees
2. Move the left ankle over the right knee
3. Gently lift the right knee to your chest until a stretch is felt in the back of your thigh
4. Repeat this with the other leg
5. Do 1 set of 4 repetitions twice a day

3. Sidelying Quad Stretch

This exercise targets the quadriceps and releases tension in the thigh muscles. It increases the flexibility of the knee joint and reduces the risk of strain or injury.

1. Lie on one side, bringing the top leg up
2. Reach back and grasp the ankle
3. Relax your leg and gently pull the ankle towards the buttocks
4. Hold the pose for 20 seconds
5. Perform 1 set of 4 repetitions twice a day

4. Seated Hamstring Stretch One Leg Extended

This exercise stretches the hamstrings, improving the flexibility and mobility of muscles in the back of the thighs. It also alleviates knee pain resulting from tight muscles.

1. Sit on a firm surface with one leg out in front
2. Slowly lean forward and try to touch the toes
3. Hold it for 10 seconds
4. Perform this twice a day with 1 set of 4 repetitions

5. Resisted Knee Extension – Short Arc Quadriceps (SAQ)

This exercise strengthens the quadriceps through resistance training, stabilizing the knee joint and reducing knee pain. This exercise also improves knee function and range of motion.

1. Place a weight on the ankle of the affected leg
2. Position the knee over a pillow and bend it to about 30 degrees
3. Straighten your knee
4. Return to the start position and repeat on the other leg
5. Perform one repetition every 4 seconds
6. You can practice 10 such repetitions twice a day.

6. Resisted Knee Extension – Long Arc Quadriceps (LAQ)

This exercise strengthens the quadriceps, helps with knee stability, and improves functional movement. It also helps manage knee pain and increase leg strength.

1. Place a weight on the ankle of the affected leg
2. Sit with your knee bent at 90 degrees
3. Fully straighten the knee
4. Return to the start position and repeat
5. Make sure that you rest for one minute between sets
6. Perform one repetition every 4 seconds
7. Do 10 such repetitions twice a day

7. Straight Leg Raise

This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, improving hip and knee mobility. It stabilizes muscles around the knee, reduces strain on the knee joint, and promotes better leg function.

1. Lie on your back with the unaffected knee bent
2. Raise the straight leg to the level of the bent leg’s thigh
3. Return to starting position
4. Perform 3 sets of repetition once a day
5. Rest 1 minute between sets

8. Prone Straight Leg Hip Extension

This exercise strengthens the glutes and lower back. It also increases hip and knee flexibility and relieves knee pain by improving muscle support around the joint.

1. Lie straight down on your belly, knee straight on the unaffected leg
2. Lift the affected leg upward
3. Return to starting position
4. Perform three sets of 20 repetitions once a day

9. Side Leg Lift

This exercise targets the hip abductors and improves hip and knee stability. It prevents misalignments that usually lead to knee pain and improves lower-body coordination.

1. Lie on the unaffected side, with your lower knee bent for stability
2. Keep the knee straight on the affected leg, lifting the leg upward
3. Return to the start position and repeat
4. Make sure that you do not roll the trunk forward or backward
5. Perform 3 sets of 20 repetitions once a day

Conclusion

If you have knee pain, add these simple and effective exercises to your routine. These stretches improve muscle strength, flexibility, and mobility, helping you prevent further knee damage.

Whether you’re dealing with aging, tense muscles, or the wear and tear of daily activities, these exercises will support your knee health, improving joint function.

Remember, consistency is key, and over a period of time, these exercises will reduce pain, increase mobility, and prevent further complications.

• Feb 2016
  Written by Shaveta Kandhari
• Nov 2024
  Edited by Lakshmi Gayatri