10 Best Knee Arthritis Exercises for Pain Relief - Ask Doctor Jo
AskDoctorJo・14 minutes read
Quad sets, bridging, hip abduction with a band, hip adduction with a pillow, straight leg raises, clam shells, hip flexion, heel toe raises, and mini squats are recommended exercises for knee arthritis to strengthen various muscles and alleviate pain, with proper techniques emphasized to avoid excessive pressure on the knee joint. Start with gentle exercises like mini squats, progressing to full squats while maintaining proper form, following guidelines for the ten best knee arthritis exercises for a safe and effective workout routine.
Insights
- Quad sets involve pushing the knee down into a towel or floor to activate the quad muscle, beneficial for knee arthritis. Bridging works multiple muscles to alleviate pain and maintain walking patterns, emphasizing hip and knee movement.
- Hip abduction and adduction exercises target outer and inner knee muscles respectively, with controlled movements and gradual progression advised. Various exercises like straight leg raises and clam shells focus on strengthening different muscle groups, crucial for managing knee arthritis effectively.
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Recent questions
What are quad sets?
Quad sets involve pushing the knee down into a rolled towel or the floor to activate the quad muscle, holding for 3-5 seconds, and repeating 5-10 times, a few times a day.
How do you perform bridging?
Bridging involves bringing the knees up hip-width apart and lifting the hips while driving the knees forward, then slowly lowering back down, aiming for 10 reps, 2 sets, a few times daily.
What is hip abduction with a band?
Hip abduction with a band targets the outer knee muscles, focusing on controlled movements outward and inward, aiming for 10 reps, a few sets daily.
How do you perform hip adduction using a pillow or ball?
Hip adduction involves squeezing in and holding for 3-5 seconds, repeating about 10 times, ensuring to avoid sharp pain and gradually increasing repetitions.
What are clam shells?
Clam shells target the gluteus medius and glute muscles, focusing on lifting the top knee without rolling back the hips, aiming for 10 reps, 2 sets, and potentially adding resistance bands for progression.
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Summary
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Gentle Knee Arthritis Exercises for Strength
- Quad sets are recommended as a gentle starting exercise for knee arthritis, involving pushing the knee down into a rolled towel or the floor to activate the quad muscle, holding for 3-5 seconds, and repeating 5-10 times, a few times a day.
- Bridging is suggested to work the muscles around the knee, hips, and lower back, helping alleviate pain by maintaining proper walking patterns, with the movement involving bringing the knees up hip-width apart and lifting the hips while driving the knees forward, then slowly lowering back down, aiming for 10 reps, 2 sets, a few times daily.
- Hip abduction with a band is advised to target the outer knee muscles, focusing on controlled movements outward and inward, with the exercise potentially causing some initial discomfort that should improve with continued practice, aiming for 10 reps, a few sets daily.
- Hip adduction using a pillow or ball is recommended to work the inner knee muscles, involving squeezing in and holding for 3-5 seconds, repeating about 10 times, ensuring to avoid sharp pain and gradually increasing repetitions.
- Straight leg raises are suggested to strengthen various muscles, with the movement entailing lifting the leg to the height of the other knee and slowly lowering back down, emphasizing controlled motions and potentially adding ankle weights for increased difficulty.
- Clam shells are proposed to target the gluteus medius and glute muscles, with the exercise focusing on lifting the top knee without rolling back the hips, aiming for 10 reps, 2 sets, and potentially adding resistance bands for progression.
- Hip flexion and knee extension exercises in a seated position are recommended to engage various muscles connected to the knee joint, with the movements involving lifting the leg towards the ceiling and extending it straight out, potentially adding ankle weights for increased challenge.
- Heel toe raises are suggested for standing exercises, focusing on lifting the heels and toes in a slow and controlled manner, with the option to progress by trying without support or performing the exercise one foot at a time for added difficulty.
- Mini squats are advised as a beneficial exercise for knee arthritis, emphasizing proper technique with feet shoulder-width apart, weight evenly distributed on heels and toes, and sticking the buttocks back while performing a shallow squat to avoid excessive pressure on the knee joint.
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"Knee-friendly exercises for arthritis relief"
- To alleviate pressure on the knee joint during exercises, ensure to stick your booty out, keeping knees behind toes, starting with mini squats until feeling tightness or slight pain, gradually progressing to full squats while maintaining proper form. Start with a little depth and increase as it becomes easier, following these guidelines for the ten best knee arthritis exercises. For the MD moisture-wicking t-shirt, click the provided link, subscribe for more content, and prioritize safety, enjoyment, and a speedy recovery.
