Exercises that help deteriorating arthritis in the knee need to be done to prevent further injury. Exercising is essential for your arthritis because it helps relieve stiffness, reduce pain and improve muscle tone and because it helps you maintain your independence. No matter what your pain level is, you need to exercise. Start out slowly and gradually increase the duration of your exercise.
Knee Strengthening
Strengthening your knee's surrounding muscles will help stabilize and support your knee joint, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Strengthening exercises will improve your muscle tone, lower your risks of falling, decrease your risk of fractures and increase your bone density. Do a leg straightening exercise to strengthen your thigh muscles, also known as quadriceps. Sit upright in a firm chair, according to the University of Michigan Health Systems. Place your feet firmly on the floor. Slowly straighten your right leg. Hold this position for five to 10 seconds. Lower your leg back to the original position. Relax for five seconds. Repeat this exercise five times with both of your legs. As you feel stronger, add a 1- or 2-pound ankle weight. Start doing a bridge exercise to help your deteriorating arthritis in the knee. Lie on a firm surface, on your back. Place both feet on the surface while bending your knees. Slowly push your feet into the surface. As you push, lift your hips up as much as possible. Hold this position for five seconds. Slowly lower your hips to the surface. Repeat this exercise 10 times.
Knee Stretching
Stretching exercises, also known as range-of-motion exercises, will help increase your flexibility, according to Virginia Mason Medical Center. Do a knee-to-chest stretch. Lie on your back on a firm surface, states the University of Michigan Health Systems. Bend both of your knees while placing your feet on the surface. Slowly lift your right knee. Place your hands over your knee and gently pull your right leg toward your chest. Feel the stretch in your knee. Hold your stretch for five seconds. Return your leg to the original position. Relax for five seconds. Repeat this exercise 10 times. Do the exercise again with your left leg.
Endurance Exercises
Start doing low-impact aerobics exercise to help your arthritis, states the University of Michigan Health systems. Aerobic exercises also go by the term endurance exercises. These exercises will build your cardiovascular health. Examples include walking, bicycling and swimming. Walking provides excellent endurance activity. If walking on land is too painful, try it in warm water, according to the Arthritis Foundation. The buoyancy of water holds most of your body weight, so your knee joints are not as affected as they are on land. Start water-walking. Get into either waist-deep or chest-deep water and walk the perimeter of the pool. Or, get into the shallow end and walk across the width of the pool. Walk as you would on land, being certain to swing your arms. Make certain that your feet touch the bottom of the pool. Bicycling is another endurance exercise, and it can be done either outdoors or on a stationary bike indoors.
