One of the most common pains that we experience at some point in our lives is knee pain. Knee pain can be caused by a number of things including arthritis, inflammation, patellofemoral pain syndrome, osteoarthritis, normal wear and tear, high-impact sports or injury.
One of the best things you can do to treat knee pain are knee pain exercises!
Resistance bands are a great remedy for treating knee pain but as with all exercise please consult a medical professional before undertaking any new workout.
Resistance bands can help strengthen the tendons, connective tissue and muscles surrounding your knee without the hard impact other forms of exercise involved. Knee band exercises can improve your knee stability and mobility while also alleviating pain and reducing inflammation. If you are looking to rehab your knees, resistance bands are the best knee exercise tool that you can use.
Knee strengthening exercises are also great for runners and athletes as they will put a lot of strain on their knees over time. These are not only good exercises for rehabilitation, but they are also great for prehab.
Most of these knee pain exercises require securing the band either under your foot or to a solid anchor, use caution when putting the bands under tension.
If you're using an anchor with rough edges, wrap a towel around the anchor then loop the band over the towel to help prevent friction or tearing.
How-to:
Attach the power band to a secure anchor
Put your right leg through the band and place the band behind your knee
Keep your knee slightly bent
Step backward a little to create tension on the band
Straighten your leg by flexing your quad and pushing your heel towards the ground
Repeat with your other leg
10-12 reps each leg
Tips: Don't start with too much tension on the band to make it easier
Benefits: Strengthens both your quadriceps and shin muscles
How-to:
Lie down on your back
Bring your right knee up towards your chest
Loop the band around your foot
Hold the band with both hands
Extend knee out until your leg is straight
10-12 reps each leg
Tips: Loop the band twice around your foot for added security and tension
Benefits: Increase the range of motion in your hip flexors
How-to:
Secure the power band to an anchor at ankle level
Stand facing away from the anchor then loop the band around your right ankle
Swing the band in a controlled kicking motion away from the anchor
10-12 reps with each leg
Tips: Use a nearby object to help balance if standing on one leg is too difficult
Benefits: Strengthens quads without putting too much pressure on the knee joint
How-to:
Lie down on your back
Bring your right knee to your chest then wrap the power band under your heel
Grab the firmly with both hands with the back of your upper arm in contact with the floor
Slowly extend your knee and lift your leg up so your toes
Return to the starting position in a slow, controlled motion
Repeat with your other leg
10-12 reps each leg
Tips: Loop the band around your foot twice to keep it secure
Benefits: Strengthens and stretches hamstrings
How-to:
Lie down on the ground
Bend your right knee and wrap the band around your right foot
Grab the band with both hands
Pull the band up towards your chest within your range of motion
10-12 reps with each leg
Tips: Don’t pull past your comfortable range of motion
Benefits: Loosen your glutes to alleviate tightness in your hamstrings which can be a cause of knee pain
How-to:
Attach the power band to a secure anchor
Put your right leg through the band and place the band behind your knee
Keep your knee slightly bent
Step back a little to create tension on the band
Lift up your left leg off of the ground balancing on your right leg
Straighten your leg by flexing your quad and pushing your heel towards the ground
10-12 reps with each leg
Tips: Use a nearby wall or object to help keep balanced
Benefits: Increased shin and quad strengthening
Start performing these knee pain relief exercises a few times a week. Using Resistance Bands allows you to strengthen weak stabilizing muscles with a constant low impact tension on the joint.
You should also supplement your diet with supplements conducive to healthy joints such as Chondroitin Sulfate, glucosamine and Omega 3 fatty acids.
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Incorporating this into my strength training after hyperextending my knee. My knee feels more stable just after the 1st 2 exercises. I love resistance band work especially because it forces the muscles to stabilize while working. This was an area i missed in my leg workouts and wont happen again thanks.
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JOE NYAMBURA
June 05, 2017
I have been quite skeptical about trying out on the resistance bands because of my knee problems even though my physician did give me a go ahead, I haven’t quite been convinced to go at it again. However, reading this may have given me a new inspiration altogether especially after realizing that they come in handy when it comes to strengthening the tendons, connective tissues, and muscles around the knee. I am definitely giving them a shot.