Your knee is integral to staying mobile and enjoying an active lifestyle. It’s one of the most complex joints in the human body due to its overall size and the unique way it’s structured. Because of this, it is also one of the most frequently injured joints. If you’ve been living with knee pain for any length of time, it’s likely time to see a New York knee doctor!
If you’re suffering from knee pain, it’s essential to focus on exercises that boost your knee strength and mobility to help alleviate pain. While we recommend making an appointment with us at OrthoManhattan to see a top New York knee doctor, we also want to share some of our recommended daily exercises that you can do at home without equipment that boosts your knee strength and mobility in the meantime.
Half Squats
A half squat is an excellent exercise for strengthening your quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteus. To begin this exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your hands at your side or in front of you for balance. (Hold onto the back of a chair if you need extra balance). With your chest lifted slowly, lower your hips as if sitting in a chair and hold the squat for 5 seconds. Your weight should be in your heels. Push through your heels to bring your body back up to standing. We recommend repeating this exercise for 3 sets of 10, 4 times weekly.
Calf Raises
Calf raises work your gastrocnemius-soleus complex, which should be felt in your calf muscle. You may need a chair for added balance and support when first trying out this exercise. Stand with your weight evenly distributed to both feet and hold onto the back of a chair if needed. Lift your unaffected foot off the floor so all your weight is placed on the affected foot. Raise the heel of your affected foot only as high as you can. Then lower it and repeat it 10 times. We recommend keeping your weight in the center of the ball of your working foot and repeating it up to 6 times a week.
Standing Quadriceps Stretch
This exercise works your quadriceps to strengthen and increase mobility. When performing this exercise, you should feel the stretch in the front of your tight, and it is important to arch or twist your back. Holding onto a chair or the wall for balance will help as you bend your knee and bring your heel towards your buttock. Hold onto your ankle, gently pull your heel in closer, hold for 30 to 60 seconds, and switch to the opposite leg. Repeat this 2 to 3 times 4 times a week.
Supine Hamstring Stretch
This stretch should be felt in the back of your thighs and behind your knee. To begin this stretch, lie on the floor with your legs bent. Lift one leg off the floor and bring your knee towards your chest while you clasp your hands behind your thigh just below your knee. Straighten your leg as best you can and gently pull towards your head until you feel a stretch. If you cannot clasp your hands behind your leg, use a towel to assist in pulling your leg towards you. Hold your stretch for 30 to 60 seconds, then switch and repeat on your other leg. We recommend repeating this 2 to 3 times 4 times a week.
See a New York Knee Doctor
If you’ve recently suffered a knee injury or are just plain tired of living with knee pain, make an appointment with a New York knee doctor at OrthoManhattan. You can give us a call or submit a contact form in the top right corner of this page.