Your knees are subject to wear and tear because they have to support a high percentage of your body weight when you stand and even greater forces when you walk or run. Additionally, they are susceptible to injury if struck from either side, especially when your feet are planted. To prevent such injuries or to rehabilitate an already injured knee, perform exercises for your knees several times per week. This will strengthen the connective tissues and muscles surrounding your knee joints, thus increasing their ability to withstand the forces exerted on them.
Russian Hamstring Exercise
This exercise strengthens the hamstring muscles on the back of your thighs, which cross the knee joints and attach to the bones of your lower legs. The hamstrings help stabilize your knee joints and flex your knees so your feet move toward your buttocks.
To perform the exercise, sit upright on your knees with your legs bent at 90 degrees behind you and have your ankles flexed so your tip-toes are on the floor. Hold your hands at your sides. Have a partner hold your ankles to keep your feet on the floor. Lean forward as far as possible without bending your waist. Keep your torso and upper legs aligned. Return to the starting position and repeat. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions.
Walking Lunges
The Santa Monica Sports Medicine Foundation recommends performing walking lunges to strengthen and stabilize your knee joints and prevent injuries. They strengthen the four quadriceps muscles on the front of your upper legs, which facilitate knee extension.
To perform walking lunges, stand upright with your hands by your sides. Step forward 2 to 3 feet with your left foot. Keep your right foot in place, but allow your heel to come up. When your left foot secures back on the floor, squat until your left thigh is horizontal. Keep your knee directly above your ankle. Stand back up and immediately step forward with your right foot, placing it 2 to 3 feet in front of your left foot. Repeat the squat, and then step forward with your left foot again. Alternate legs for your desired number of repetitions.
Wall Sits
Jon Greenfield of the Center for Orthopedic and Sports Excellence recommends wall sits as part of a rehabilitation program to restore strength and function to your knees after an injury. You should develop a base of strength in your hamstrings, hip abductors and adductors, and quadriceps by performing easier exercises before doing wall sits.
To perform the exercise, stand facing away from a wall with your feet about 2 feet away from its base. Lean backward and press your back flush against the wall. Slowly bend your knees and allow your back to slide down the wall. Hold for five seconds, and then return to the starting position. Bend your knees only about 15 degrees at first and gradually increase this amount over time, but do not go beyond 45 degrees. Also, increase the number of repetitions and the amount of time per repetition gradually.
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