6 knee-friendly exercises to strengthen and stretch

Do you have knee pain like 1 in 5 Australians? You don’t have to suffer with the aches, you can ease them at home with nothing but a chair and wall.

Knees are the most commonly injured joints in the body, and over time, everyday wear and tear can end up hurting your mobility as walking and climbing stairs takes its toll.

But it’s not too late to change your knees’ fate – you are still able to exercise and strengthen your knees, even if you’re in pain and over 60. It will increase your mobility, range of motion, and ability to put weight back on these crucial parts.

Here are some exercises you can do to both stretch and strengthen the knee area.

1. Chair knee extension

Sitting in a chair, rest your foot on another chair so the knee is slightly raised. Gently push the raised knee toward the floor – don’t use your hands, just your leg muscles. Hold for 5 – 10 seconds and release. Repeat 5 times on each leg.

2. Heel slide knee extension

Lie on your back, with your left knee bent and the left foot flat on floor. Slowly slide the left heel away from your body so both legs are parallel. Hold for 5-10 seconds, then repeat 5 times on each leg.

3. Wall slide

Lean with your back against a wall and bend your knees 30°. Slide down the wall, then straighten up again, using your hands on the wall for balance. Keep feet and legs parallel, and do not allow knees to go out over the toes. Repeat 5 -10 times.

4. Bent-Leg Raises

Grab a chair and sit down. Straighten one leg in the air (without locking your knee). Hold for a minute then bend your knee to lower the leg about halfway to the floor. Hold for 30 seconds. Return to starting position and repeat 5 times.

5. Step-Ups: Stand in front of a step and step up and down. You can try putting one foot up then placing it back down or putting one foot up, then the other, then putting the first foot back, then doing the second. Get a bit of a pace going!

Tell us, do you suffer from knee pain? How have you tried to decrease the injury?