6 Seated Exercises for Knee Pain – Exercises for Injuries
Maintain a good posture when sitting:
move onto front of seat, sit up tall, feet planted firmly on the ground, knees over top of ankles, shoulders over hips, core is engaged, shoulders are down the back. Sit up really nice and tall.
You can go through the entire cycle up to 3 times.
1. Hamstring Drop (strengthening your hamstrings): 10* on each side.
2. Leg Lifts (strengthen your quads – top of your thigh): engage your core, can bend your knees a little, toes pointed towards you, controlled movements. 10* on each side.
Strong leg muscles help to absorb the impact, so that it doesn’t go into our knee joints.
3. Cat Cow: poor spinal flexibility can translate into hip pain or knee pain. Place hands on thighs or knees, for leverage.
Breathe in, open your chest, bring your stomach forwards, and shoulders backwards, arch backwards.
Breathe out, curl forwards and round your spine towards the back. Pull your core towards your belly button.
10 Breaths.
4. Side Lunge: 10 deep breaths on each side.
This stretches your hip flexors and your quadriceps.
“Leg Lifts” strengthens your quads, this exercise stretches them.
Engage your core muscles. Press into your toes, squeeze your gluteus muscles and press your belly button inwards.
5. Clam Shells: 10*
if you don’t have a band, you can use your hands to press the outside of your legs to create resistance.
Feet together, firmly planted on the ground.
Feel the squeeze on the outside of your hips (gluteus medius – stabilizing muscle).
This exercise strengthens your gluteus medius muscle (outside of your hips).
6. Figure 4: 10 deep breaths.
Now we’re going to stretch your gluteus medius muscle (outside of your hips).
Keep your knee slightly bent, and cross your ankles.
If you want to do a deeper stretch, then you can bend your knee on top of your opposite thigh (instead of just crossing at the ankles). Flex the toes back to protect the knee. Slightly press the knee backwards.
If you can not take deep breaths and relax when you’re doing this stretch, then you’ve gone out a little bit too far.
