C2K - KNEE'D I Say More?

I decided not to walk today. I have extremely weak knees (sometimes they give out when I'm just walking around), made worse by frequent injuries during my feeble attempts at physical activity as a teenager and a general lifestyle of poor nutrition and weight gain. So yesterday I realized that my left knee was hurting. Not in the "hey something's going on with the weather" kind of ache, but the "you pulled something" kind of way.

I did some research on knee strengthening exercises and decided to incorporate them into my 5k training. 

(On a side note, the kids and I found ourselves outside for a beautiful 10 minutes with nothing to do, so we walked around KSU. It wasn't an official training walk, but I did get to analyze which knee muscles had been affected and how during my previous walk, and my heart rate definitely went up. So yay for spontaneous physical activity!)

This morning, I woke up at my usual 6am, fed the baby, and went through my knee exercises. I do hope to get some good training walks in between now and New Year's, but because of the holidays and the cold weather, I'm going to focus my goals on knee strengthening. KNEED I say more? (I love cheesy play on words!)

Best 10 Knee Strengthening Exercises After Knee Surgery or Injury.

 

Isometric Quads

Lie on your back or sit with your leg straight.
Tighten the force in the front of your thigh as much as you can, pushing the back of your knee flat out the floor.
This will pull your kneecap up to your thigh, toward your hip.
You can place a rolled towel under the knee. Knee strengthening exercises that are similar to this one you can work on the first day-after surgery or injury.

 

Quad Strengthening Straight-Leg Lift

First, you should lie on your back. Pull one knee up while keeping it on the floor.
Tighten the muscle in front of your thigh as much as you can, pushing the back of your knee flat out the floor.
Lift your leg/heel 4 to 6 inches off the floor.
Lower your leg/heel back to the floor. Keep the muscle in front of your thigh as tight as possible as you lower your leg. Then relax.

Knee strengthening exercises should be started as soon as possible after surgery or injury, to prevent excessive muscle atrophy.

 

Heel Slide

This exercise strengthens your knee as well as increasing its range of motion.
Lying on your back, start with your leg resting flat on the bed. Slowly bend your knee, sliding your heel towards your bottom. Expect to feel a stretch over the front of your knee. Hold this position for a few seconds, and then gently slide your heel back down. Make sure that your knee returns to a fully straightened resting position on the bed after every repetition.
If this knee exercise too hard for you, you can work with both feet at once or you can help with your hands.

Knee strengthening exercises like this one greatly helps to achieve full knee flexion and extension.

 

Knee Flexion

Lie flat on your stomach bend your injured knee trying to bring your heel as close to your butt as possible. Hold your knee in this position 5 to 10 seconds and then lower leg and relax. Reducing swelling will help increase the range you can bring the foot.

Once your legs gains strength, do the knee strengthening exercises with weights on your ankles or use Thera Band bands.

 

Hip Adductors (Inner Thigh) Strengthening Inner Leg Lift

Lie on floor on your right side, shoulder and hips aligned. Use your right hand to prop up your head. Place your left hand on the floor in front of you to help balance yourself. Bend left leg and bring it to the floor in front or behind of you. Slowly raise your right leg about 10 inches off the floor then, hold for a second, then slowly lower leg to ground.