The knee can be injured in a variety of ways during athletic activity. The McKinley Health Center of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recommends strengthening the knees to prevent injury, as muscle and strength imbalances in the legs can increase the risk of hurting yourself during physical activity.
One-Legged Hopping
The American Council on Exercise recommends one-legged hopping to strengthen muscles, helping to prevent injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee, which is commonly injured during athletic activity. Stand on one foot and imagine a straight line in the middle of the floor beneath your body. Jump over this line while on one foot, and then jump back to the other side. This exercise stabilizes the knee by engaging the trunk, abs, pelvis, legs and feet.
3-D Matrix Lunge
This exercise is like performing a standard lunge in each direction. Start by stepping forward and bending the front knee down so your back knee touches the ground. Repeat this, but instead of stepping forward, step 45 degrees from your midline on each side. Once you've completed those lunges, perform a lateral lunge by stepping away from your body on the 180-degree plane and bending one knee. For this move, your feet should remain parallel.
Mini-Squat
The McKinley Health Center recommends building up knee and leg strength using the mini-squat maneuver. Stand with your back against the wall and place you feet about 24 inches away from the wall's base. Slowly bend your knees down to 90 degrees, so they are parallel with the floor. Hold this for 20 seconds, and then return to standing position. Try repeating the move three times.
