Knee Pain Exercises and Knee Pain Relief Tips

Knee pain is very common among athletes, runners, daily walkers, or even people who have a sedentary life. Sometimes knee pain is caused by overusing the knee joint and sometimes it may be caused by not exercising at all.

Whether or not you experience knee pain, be sure to check out our tips to maintain knee joint health, as your knees bear the whole weight of your body.

But first, let’s dive deeper into the causes of knee pain.

What are the causes of knee pain?

Symptoms of knee problems may include pain as well as rubbing, grinding, or clicking sounds in the kneecap, swelling, stiffness, redness, weakness, or knee instability. Whatever symptom you have, it’s probably the sign of a knee joint problem.

The most common causes of knee pain are related to aging, excess weight, or physical activities that repeatedly put stress on the knee joint.

Other possible common causes of knee pain are: (1)

• Iliotibial band syndrome
• Tendinitis
• Gout
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Meniscus tears
• Injuries

Knee pain treatment should be done under the supervision of a medical professional if it is due to the above causes.

Knee pain relief tips

Many people, young or old, exercising or not, have problems with their knees at some point in their lives. It’s common to notice knee pain when squatting or bending.

There are a few important aspects when it comes to knee health. If you pay attention to these aspects and don’t create any stress on your knees, you are less likely to have knee problems.

Use these tips to relieve mild knee pain or even to avoid knee pain altogether:

1. Strengthen your hips and core

Your core muscles (abdominals, glutes, lower back, and pelvic floor muscles) are located in the center of the body and provide your body’s main balance. All of your extremities (legs and arms) are connected to the core area. To have strong and healthy legs and arms, you first need strong core muscles.

Strengthening your core muscles increases your body’s overall endurance, making any kind of movement more effortless for you.

2. Gradually increase training

Exercising too much before your body is ready creates stress on your joints and muscles. Increase your training gradually day by day.

3. Warm up and cool down properly

It’s extremely important to give your body enough time to prepare for physical activity with some warm-up exercises and to allow it to recover in the cool-down period.

4. Lose weight if needed

You should maintain a healthy weight. Extra body weight means additional weight on joints, especially on your knees. Many people who suffer from knee pain report less pain after losing their excess weight

5. Get the right shoes

Wearing inappropriate shoes can negatively affect body posture and the way you walk. Wear proper shoes for your daily activity level, and make sure they’re the right size.

Given that your feet spread inside your shoes, there should be roughly one thumb width’s space between the tips of your toes and the toe-cap of the shoe. This will keep your toes from hitting the toe-cap all the time, and the shoe won’t squeeze your feet if they get swollen.

6. Treat yourself well

If you have pain in your knees, take a break in your training during the recovery period. Eat well during that period, because malnutrition may sometimes be the cause of joint pain.

Knee pain exercises and stretches

Mild knee pain can sometimes be relieved by exercising with the proper exercises if it is caused by a sedentary lifestyle.

Here are a few bodyweight exercises that you can do at home by yourself without needing any equipment or a personal trainer.

• Hamstring Stretches
• Pistol Squats
• In and Out Squats
• Single Leg Hip Raises
• Hip Bridge
• Inner Leg Lifts
• Side Lying Leg Raises
• Standing IT Band Stretch

You can download Fitness Kompanion to get tips, instructions, and videos for these exercises and access much more workout-related content.

These exercises are recommendations only, and should only be performed if your knee pain is mild. If the knee pain you have is severe, you should consult a doctor before doing any exercise.

To sum up

Bear in mind that exercise can make you tired or create muscle soreness for a while, but it should never cause sharp pains or make your existing pain worse. If you’re experiencing this kind of sharp, shooting, or sudden pain in any of your muscles or joints, including knee joints, consult a doctor as soon as possible.