Exercises to strengthen the knees can be indicated in case of healthy people, who wish to practice some physical activity, such as running, but also serve to combat pain caused by arthritis, arthrosis and rheumatism, for better muscle strengthening due to wear and tear. cartilage.
Exercises should be prescribed by the physical educator or physical therapist personally after checking the need that the person presents, because they can be very varied, and depend on whether there is any injury or not, but here are some examples of exercises that may be useful for strengthening the quadriceps, which are the thigh muscles.
1. Bridge
In this first exercise you just lie on your back, bend your legs and lift the torso off the floor, keeping the pelvis elevated. Then it should descend slowly. Repeat the exercise 10 times. Rest a few seconds and then perform another new series of 10 repetitions.
2. Elevation of leg
Sitting on a firm chair, with your back propped up, you should simply stretch one leg while keeping the other leg bent. Repeat this exercise 10 times in a row. Exercise should be done slowly and controlled, and weights should not be used initially. After completing the 10 repetitions, you should do the same exercise with the other leg and then rest for a few more seconds. Finally you should perform a new repetition series of plus 10 with each leg.
3. Extension of the foot leg
From the standing position, you should hold the back of a chair or place your hands on a wall. The exercise consists of folding one leg back as shown in the picture, forming a 90 degree angle with the leg. Repeat 10 times, making the movement slowly and controlled, just as in the previous exercise. You should do 10 repetitions with each leg, rest for a few seconds and then perform a new series of 10 repetitions with each leg, totaling 20 repetitions with each leg.
4. Extension of the leg in 3 supports
You should stand in the position of 4 supports, with your elbows and knees on the floor and raise one leg as shown in the picture. Repeat 10 times, being careful to keep the leg in motion, always straight. Remember to imagine that you are pushing the ceiling upwards, using the heel, because this facilitates the movement at the correct angle. You should do 2 sets of 10 repetitions with each leg.
5. Squatting
Squatting is a great closed kinetic chain exercise for knee strengthening. From the standing position you should imagine that you will sit on a chair flexing your knees to a 90 degree angle. When doing this exercise you should be aware that your knees do not extend beyond the big toe so as not to create injuries to your knees. To facilitate movement you can stretch your hands in front of the body as shown in the picture or hold a broom handle over your arms. 20 consecutive squats are recommended.
6. Tighten ball between knees
This isometric exercise consists of lying flat on your back, bending your knees, keeping them slightly bent, and placing a medium-sized ball between your knees. The exercise consists of just squeezing the ball between your knees ten times in a row. This exercise should be repeated 10 times, totaling 100 grips, but with rests every 10 repetitions.
In case of knee osteoarthritis other more specific exercises may be indicated, check out the other necessary steps to recover faster in this video:
