The knee is a “hinge joint,” which is often injured due to the total compressive force it must support throughout the day. This article aims to help you bulletproof your knees with exercises and movements that you can perform as possible, with noticeable differences as they get better. I understand that whether you are an active athlete with knee pain, a teenager struggling with knee aching, or an adult experiencing some discomfort, you want to get rid of the knee pain.
We are strong advocates of a pain-free, active lifestyle, so today, we are showing you how to make your knees bulletproof.
Why Having Strong Knees Is Important?
Your knees support the bulk of your body weight and take most of the impact from regular activities such as walking, running, and jumping.
Having strong knee joints is a crucial part of living a pain-free life.
There are millions of people suffering from knee pain in one way or another. Moreover, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, more than 1 million people replace their knee joints every year in the United States. Yet, surgery should be your last option if you experience any knee pain.
In fact, keeping healthy joints (in general) should be our priority for living a fulfilling life.
For our purposes today, strengthening the muscles in our legs will significantly support the knee joints.
Strong front muscles (quadriceps) and back muscles (hamstrings) on our legs help our knee joint absorb stress.
Flexibility also plays a big part in having stronger knees. Therefore, stretching before and after a workout is a great way to reduce stress on our joints. Stretching does not only help with reducing stress; it also helps with decreasing soreness of the muscles.
Now, let’s look at some of the best exercises to make your knee joints strong and flexible.
Top 5 Best Exercises To Bulletproof Your Knees
Quad Set
Sit on the ground (legs extended) with a rolled-up towel under your knees. Begin flexing your quadriceps and create pressure behind the knees by imagining you are pushing your knees into the towel. Mind muscle connection is essential when doing this exercise!
Repeat for 2-3 sets of 10 reps per leg – holding 3-5 seconds on each rep.
Straight Leg Raises
While sitting on the ground, remove the towel and flex your quadriceps hard, lifting it as high as possible. Do not bend your knee by keeping the foot flexed. Reach a position where you start to feel the burn in your hamstring and hold for 3-5 seconds.
Repeat for 2-3 sets x 8-10 reps per leg.
Bridges
Lay on the ground with the soles of your feet flat on the floor (banded in the knees – if you have “booty bands” – any cloth kind is superior to rubber variations). Lift your hips as high as possible and squeeze your glutes.
If this is too easy for you, lift one of your legs and hold it straight as you reach a horizontal position.
Repeat for 3 sets x 10 reps.
Quadriceps Foam Rolling
Put your hands in a push-up position, shoulder width, and lay your thigh (above the knee) on a foam roller. Roll back-and-forth in approximately 1-inch movements with a slow pace while performing the exercise. Never foam roll over a joint! You can take it as high as the hip muscles and even twist slightly to apply more pressure and roll down above the knee.
You can adjust the pressure with your hands or even lift your other leg to make it harder.
Repeat for 2 sets x 10 reps per leg.
Single-Leg Calf Raise
Put one of your feet on an elevated platform, such as a step, weight plate, or 2×4 board. Assure you have a steady and stable stance and support or hold on to anything as needed. Start raising your heel until your calf is fully contracted. Then, slowly return to starting position and dip the heel lower into a nice stretch before repeating for another repetition.
Repeat for 3 sets x 15 reps per leg.
Final Thoughts
Preventing knee injuries is only possible by maintaining decent strength, mobility, and flexibility in your legs.
Remember that every pound of body weight is multiplied by 4 for the knee joints. Therefore, having optimal weight truly helps to relieve stress on these joints. Performing this set of exercises will help build strong knee joints and the related muscles and connective tissue. Neglecting your muscles or joints, especially when you already have pains, could have further severe consequences.
Thank you for reading this article, and don’t hesitate to spread the love by sharing it with a friend!
