Exercises For Your Knees & Back

Your knees and back are areas of your body that take a lot of abuse and are subject to stresses and strains. Exercises for these areas target the surrounding muscles for improved muscular strength and endurance. Stronger muscles help correct misalignments, and improve joint mobility and stability while decreasing the risk of injury. Improved joint health enables your body to endure exercise and obtaining the benefits from exercise, including improved health and fitness levels. Complete three or four sets of 10 to 12 repetitions until muscle failure.

Leg Extension

This exercise isolates your quadriceps, the muscles in the front of your thighs that surround the knee joint. Sit on a leg extension machine with your back flat and pressed against the back pad. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle and place your ankles under the bottom rollers. Begin the exercise by contracting your thighs, lifting your feet up until they are at hip height and your legs are straight at the knees. Hold, and then slowly lower back to the starting position.

Leg Press

This is a compound exercise, working your thighs and buttocks. Sit on a leg-press machine with your back flat and pressed against the back pad. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle, placing your feet on the platform in front of you. Hold on to the side grips, contract your abdomen and avoid arching your back. Begin the exercise by pushing the platform away from your body until your knees are straight. Hold, and then slowly bring the platform back to the starting position.

Lat Pulldowns

This exercise works your latissimus dorsi, your outer back muscle, and is performed on a seated overhead pulley machine. Sit with your knees bent at 90 degrees, placing your knees under the rollers. Extend your arms up, holding the overhead bar with an overhand grip, placing your hands further than shoulder-width apart. Contract your abdomen to keep your back straight. Begin the exercise by bending your elbows, pulling the bar down in front of you to the top of your chest. Contract your back by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold, and then slowly lift your arms back up to the starting position.

Seated Cable Row

This exercise targets your rhomboids, the muscles in the center of your back between your shoulder blades, and is performed on a seated row pulley machine. Sit with your legs extended in front of you with your knees slightly bent. Extend your arms in front of you, holding a V-bar with your palms facing in. Contract your abdomen to keep your back straight. Begin the exercise by pulling the bar towards you until your hands reach your abdomen, keeping your arms close to your sides. Hold, squeezing your shoulder blades together, and then slowly extend your arms back to the starting position.