Various incidents can be blamed for pain in the knees, such as accidents, falls, arthritis or traumatic blows in sports. The pain might be discouraging, but it should not prevent you from exercising. Plenty of knee-free exercises are options to work the upper body. These exercises are done from a seated or lying position, taking the stress off your knees altogether.
Bench Press
The bench press is a chest-building exercise that also targets the triceps on the back of the arms and deltoids on the shoulders. Your body is in a face-up position on a bench when doing this exercise so your knees do not feel any stress. Hold dumbbells an inch apart above your chest with your palms facing your knees and arms fully extended. Slowly lower the weights to your sides by bending your elbows and stop when you feel a good stretch in your chest. Steadily push the dumbbells back to the starting point and repeat.
Shoulder Press
A shoulder press activates the deltoids and trapezius muscles in the shoulders, and it is performed from a seated position on a workout chair or bench. A workout chair has a back support, which is a better option for taking pressure off your knees. Sit back on the chair while holding dumbbells above your shoulders with your palms facing forward. Keeping your abs tight, push the weights above your head and toward each other in an arcing motion. Stop the dumbbells an inch apart, slowly lower them back down and repeat.
Lat Pull-down
The lat pull-down works the back with your lower body in a fixed position. Sit on the seat of the lat pull-down machine and adjust the padded support so it is tight on your thighs. Carefully reach up and grab the overhead bar with a wide, overhand grip. After leaning back slightly, pull the bar down to your chest and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Slowly raise the bar back up until your arms are fully extended and repeat.
Biceps Curl
A seated biceps curl works the upper front arms with no impact on the knees. Sit on a workout chair with dumbbells held at your sides and facing in. Steadily lift the weights up and twist your wrists so your palms face your shoulders. Squeeze your biceps for a second, slowly lower the weights back to the starting point and repeat.
Arm Ergometry
A high percentage of cardiovascular exercises involve the knees. When you are dealing with pain or stiffness, arm ergometry is a good alternative exercise to burn fat. This machine has a seat with a backrest and two hand-held cranks that move around. To operate the ergometer, sit back on the seat, grasp the cranks and spin them in a circular motion as if you were pedaling a bike with your arms. This machine has a resistance adjustment that you can increase to make the movement more intense.
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