7 Need-To-Know Stretches To Relieve Knee Pain 

Everybody wants to move around without any constraints. But when you feel an ache in your knees each time you walk or climb the stairs, your range of motion would naturally be limited.

Knee pain seems to be a common condition among individuals, particularly adults. According to a podiatrist Sunshine Coast residents trust, its causes could range from sprains or injuries to overexertion or an underlying health complication like arthritis. Once it becomes unbearable, you might need to visit a specialist.

Luckily, there are ways you can relieve that sensation and keep your knees healthy over time as well, and one of those is doing some stretches. If you’ve been experiencing discomfort in your knee, here are seven stretches that would help ease it:

Seated Knee Stretch

Extension exercises can help strengthen your knee muscles while ensuring that your joints are in good shape. Integrating your regular workout routine with knee extensions will help you avoid injury and enable you to be more flexible.

Here’s how you can perform knee stretches:

• Sit up straight with your shoulders down and back.
• Lift and extend one leg.
• Hold the position for a few seconds, tightening the muscles in front of your thighs before moving your leg back down.
• Make sure your movements are slow and precise.
• Switch legs, being sure to maintain a full knee stretch (leg completely straight).
• Perform five times per leg.

Kneeling Lunge

Curtsy lunges are thought to be fantastic for developing and conditioning your derrière, which is great for improving your posture. With powerful gluteal muscles, back and knee discomfort may be avoided or alleviated, decreasing your chance of getting injured.

To perform a kneeling lunge, bend your knees and hips to move into a lunge position. Pause for a moment, and then lift yourself back up. Maintain a vertical angle between your right shin and the ground to prevent your knee from pushing over your right foot. Do five rounds of left and right kneeling lunges in a row.

Hamstring Stretch

Hamstring stretches are common exercises performed by dancers, joggers, and sprinters to increase the flexibility of their muscles during their warm-up routines. Aside from that, they can help one prepare for more strength-based knee therapy.

When doing a hamstring stretch, shift your weight onto your right foot with your left heel flexed upward. Lean forward from the hips, and then bend your body to the right. While doing this, straighten your right leg and flex your toes up. A 30- to 60-second stretch should be done around the back of the knee before you change sides. If you’re unsure how to correctly perform these steps, you can search the internet for videos.

Half Squat

A half squat is when you squat halfway down then hold it for five seconds. A stretch like this may be a good place to start for those with knee pain.

To begin, stand with your feet hip-distance to shoulder-distance apart. Lower your body to a tolerable depth while keeping your back flat and your core supported. Push your hips backward, and bend your knees as you lower your body. Push yourself back to its starting position after a five-second pause. Perform 10-15 repetitions. If it’s too easy for you, you can try holding five- to 10-pound dumbbells.

Single-Leg Raises

Exercises like leg raises are beneficial for building stronger quadriceps—the big muscles in the front of your thighs that connect to your knee joints. If you wish to do this movement, begin by performing one set of four repetitions on each leg.

Lie on your back on the floor or bed with your arms at your sides and your toes pointed upward. Then, gently raise your leg several inches while keeping it straight and straining your leg muscles. Finally, before you gently lower your limb, be sure to tighten your abdominal muscles and hold for a count of five. Repeat with the other leg.

Leg Stretch

Leg stretches are also an excellent method to strengthen your quadriceps. They’re done by sitting on the floor with both legs straight out in front of you. Do this with your back straight and while you’re supporting yourself with your hands on each side of your hips. Now bend one knee until it feels stretched but not uncomfortable. Hold that posture for five seconds, and then gently extend your leg out as far as you can, keeping that stance for another five seconds.

Wall Slide

Wall slides are a rehabilitative warm-up activity that improves shoulder mobility and flexibility. But other than that, it’s a challenging quad workout for strengthening the knee joints. However, be very careful not to strain your knees while performing this exercise.

To do this, stand erect against a wall, pushing your back and buttocks flush against the surface. Next, place your feet 12 inches apart from one another and six inches apart from the wall. To slide down the wall, push gently downward, and then hold a 45-degree bend in the knees for five seconds. Finally, return to the upright starting position by gently sliding up the wall.

Conclusion

The easy stretches and simple exercises discussed in this article may help you relieve minor knee issues without taking medication or going under the knife. Keep in mind that your knees are among the most crucial joints in your body’s fundamental structure. So regardless of your age or profession, take excellent care of them in order to live a healthy, pain-free life.