Arthritis in the knee can cause such symptoms as pain, stiffness, inflammation and redness. Aside from drug treatments and surgery, exercise is used as a lifestyle modification to reduce symptoms. The goal with exercises is to strengthen the muscles in the legs and improve flexibility according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Good exercises are performed in a safe and controlled fashion. Before you do any exercises, make sure to get your doctor's consent.
Leg Extension
Whenever you move your leg from a bent to straight position, you are doing extension. A leg extension exercise strengthens the quadriceps found right above the knee on the thigh. This is performed from a face-up position on the floor. After rolling up a towel, raise your right leg and place the towel under your knee. Your leg should be bent at this point. Keeping your thigh still, bend your knee and extend your leg in the air. When you do this, contract your quadriceps for a full second. Slowly lower your leg, repeat for a set of reps and switch sides. When you extend your leg, do not lock your knee.
Knee Bends
Knee bends are performed from a standing position with your feet about shoulder-width apart. These exercises strengthen your quadriceps and hamstrings. The hamstrings are found on the back of the thighs and they are involved with hip extension and knee flexion. Both of these motions take place when you do knee bends. Place your hands on your sides and slowly lower yourself down by bending your knees. Only go down until you start feeling discomfort, then rise back up and repeat. The ultimate goal is to get your thighs parallel to the floor when you lower yourself down. Slowly work your way to this point as you improve your range of motion.
Seated Leg Curl
The seated leg curl is an isometric exercise that isolates the hamstrings. Isometric exercises do not involve continual movement. While sitting on the edge of the chair, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Now extend your right leg out slightly and place your heel on the floor with your toes pointing up. Steadily push down and pull your heel toward your body. You will feel your hamstrings contracting when you do this. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, slowly release and repeat with your other leg.
Lying Hip Adduction
The adductors are the muscles on the inside of your thighs. They cause your legs to move inward and they also help support the knees. To do a lying adduction exercise, lie on your right side, extend your right leg straight out and place your left foot flat on the floor with your knee bent. Keeping your right leg straight, lift it in the air as high as comfortably possible and slowly lower it back down. Repeat for a set of reps and switch sides. To increase the resistance, where a pair or ankle weights.
Abduction
Hip abduction is the opposite of adduction. This motion takes place when you move your leg outward. Start out by lying on your left side with your legs stacked and straight. Keeping your right leg straight, raise it in the air in an arcing motion until it is about 45 degrees to the ground. Slowly lower it back down, repeat for a set of reps and switch sides. In similar fashion to adductor raises, you can increase the resistance with ankle weights.
