The three main types of arthritis that can affect the knee joint include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and post-traumatic arthritis. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the most common type is osteoarthritis, which is most prevalent in middle-aged and elderly people. Exercise can help to slow the progress, or even eliminate the pain, associated with an arthritic knee.
Low-Impact Aerobic Exercise
Especially beneficial for warming up, low-impact aerobic exercise helps to loosen the knee joint and promote blood flow to the area without putting a lot of pressure on the knee. Examples of low-impact exercises include elliptical training, walking or water aerobics. You can use these exercises to warm up prior to using other therapeutic knee exercises, or you can make it a full workout by exercising for about 30 minutes at a moderate pace.
Leg Extensions
You can perform leg extensions several different ways. With a leg extension weightlifting machine, you can use a very light amount of weight, or even no weight, and extend your leg until it is parallel with the floor. You can also simulate the same type of movement using a rolled up towel and ankle weight. Lie flat on your back with the towel placed behind your knee; extend your leg up and hold for a few seconds before bringing it back down.
Resistance Bands
Resistance band exercises are a favorite of rehabilitation centers, and for good reason. Resistance bands provide beneficial resistance for building muscle but without the potential for injury that traditional weightlifting exercises offer. A few of the top lower-body resistance band exercises recommended by the Sports Injury Clinic include the lying down knee flexion, knee extension and standing hip flexion. Perform these types of exercises by tying one end of the band around your ankle and the other end around a sturdy object near the floor, such as the bottom of a weight bench. Extend your leg front, back and to the side to strengthen the full range of motion in your leg muscles and knee joints.
Water Walking
The buoyant nature of water takes virtually all the stress off your joints, so you can exercise without your body weight putting extra stress on your knees. Water walking is an effective and easy way to strengthen the muscles around your knees and reduce the pain associated with arthritic knees. Water provides 12 times more resistance than air, so you can get a low-impact resistance training workout by simply walking back and forth in a pool. You can perform deep water walking by using a flotation device to hold you up as you simulate the walking motion.
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