‘Use it or lose it’. This concept is vital for optimal function of the knee. Your muscles or joints will function differently if you do not use them properly. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, characterized by bad forward slumped posture, you may not be using essential muscles and could instead be overusing other muscles. This is typical in the start of a knee problem. On the contrary, overuse of certain knee muscles during sporting activities can also be cause knee problems. Knee strengthening exercises may be an effective way to improve a knee problem, but always consult a healthcare professional  to ensure that you are considering the right knee exercises for your specific issue.

Always consult a therapist first, to determine if this low back exercise is good for you. If you don't have a therapist yet, please find one near you by using our therapist map. 

Special note: This is a strengthening exercise designed to train the knee muscles. It is extremely important that you carefully increase the pressure to prevent complaints. Do not perform this exercise if you have any neck pain or other knee related symptoms. Understand your neutral posture. Most of the exercises start in a neutral posture. Please read about the importance of posture before starting with any exercise. Click here for more information about posture.

List of conditions which could have benefit from this knee exercise

A diagnosis or knee exercise prescription for the following conditions could only be done by a medical doctor or your healthcare professional . This list has merely been given to discuss with your therapist.

• Mechanical knee pain
• Knee bursitis, knee tendinitis, knee sprain, knee strain, knee arthritis.
• Knee medial meniscus injury, knee lateral meniscus injury, lateral collateral ligament sprain, medial collateral ligament sprain, anterior cruciate sprain, posterior cruciate sprain.
• Running Knee Pain, Osgood Schlatters, knee osteoarthritis

General tips for knee strengthening exercises

1. Frequency: These exercises are effective in strengthening the muscles of the knee joint. The frequency in which you complete them depends on your goal. If your goal is to build endurance, rather than strength, the frequency should be higher. Doing more exercises than recommended is not always necessary. Please discuss this with your healthcare professional .
2. Combine: Instead of focusing on just one exercise, combine similar exercises for a more powerful effect. Three mobility exercises is the average recommended combination.
3. Warming up: Before beginning this knee strengthening exercise, complete a few knee strengthening exercise as a warm up.
4. Knee pain: Pain is a warning signal… Never ignore pain. Knee exercises should be done with care as they may worsen your issue. Do not continue with this exercise if you experience knee pain. Ask your healthcare professional  for more information.
5. Speed: Do not hurry. This knee exercise should be done slowly.
6. Stay Alert: Think about each movement involved in the knee exercise rather than just getting the exercise done.
7. Overuse: Knee pain is most commonly the result of overuse and repeated or prolonged movements of the knee muscles, tendons, ligaments or joints. This overuse can result in a strain (muscle injury), a sprain (ligament injury), or inflammation of the joint.
8. Risk factors: Risk of knee injury increases with age. The knees or knees are often injured as a result of instant trauma or gradually because of "wear and tear." Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of pain in the knees in people over the age of 55. Overuse is the most common cause in younger people.

Did you know?

The knee is a vulnerable joint that bears a great deal of stress from everyday activities. Not surprisingly, its structures may become overloaded and injured. Typically injuries happen due to kneeling, lifting or activities that have a high-impact on the knee joint, such as running and jumping.