Knee Physical Therapy: 6 Knee Strengthening Exercises

Do your knees hurt after exercise? Do you have knee pain after weight lifting? If you have knee pain or weak knees, you should engage in knee strengthening exercises and knee stretches to restore mobility and flexibility. The knee is a complex structure with joints, cartilages, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other components. If any of these components are damaged or injured, you may suffer from knee pain and knee joint problems. Knee physical therapy can provide knee pain relief, alleviate knee pain and discomfort, and restore optimal mobility.

Physical therapy is an essential component of your knee pain relief. Knee strengthening exercises increase the strength of your leg muscles, which provides more support to the knees. Knee stretches increase the flexibility of your knee joints, thus improving your range of motion and mobility. Most patients need a combination of knee strengthening exercises and knee stretches for optimal results. This article describes the best knee physical therapy options, but you should only engage in these exercises after consulting your knee pain doctor.

Below, we describe the best knee strengthening exercises and knee stretches in New York.

Lie down on your side and bend your knees close to your chest, ensuring your back remains straight. Your feet should be pressed close together and aligned with your body. Lift your top knee towards the ceiling while pressing your feet together. You must keep your hips straight — don’t allow your hips to roll forward. Once your knee is facing up, lower it back down to the starting position. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions on both sides.

Lie down on your back, support your neck with a pillow, and bend your knees while keeping your feet flat on the ground. You can rest your arms beside your body in a relaxed manner. Tighten the gluteal muscles in your buttocks to lift your hips towards the ceiling. Raise your hips as much as possible without straining your lower back. Gradually lower your hips down to the starting position. This movement will strengthen your gluteal muscles, allowing your knees to bear more weight. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Lie down flat on your stomach and pull the heel as close to your butt as possible. After holding this position for a few seconds, repeat the same movement in the other leg. You can also hold onto the back of a chair and lift one leg at a time, giving a good stretch to the muscles along the back of your thighs, i.e., the hamstrings. This exercise will strengthen your hamstring muscles. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions on both sides — you can also add ankle weights to make it more challenging.

Lie down on your side, bring one knee closer to your chest and straighten the top knee by tightening the quadriceps muscles on the top of the knee. Flex your foot towards the face and lift the elevated leg towards the ceiling. After holding this position for a few seconds, bring your legs back down and repeat on the other side. This exercise will strengthen your quadriceps and gluteal muscles. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions on both sides.

Keep your feet flat on the ground, back up against a wall, keep your feet shoulder-width apart, and gradually bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Think about lowering yourself onto an invisible chair that’s backed up against the wall. Your back should be flat against the wall. Hold this position for around 5 to 10 seconds, but change the position if you experience knee joint pain. You can repeat this exercise 10 times, gradually increasing the duration you hold the squat every time.

Knee physical therapy is an essential component of knee pain relief and treatment. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications and corticosteroids can alleviate inflammation and swelling, but you need physical therapy to improve your knee strength and flexibility. Knee strengthening exercises enhance the muscles surrounding the knees, which offers greater support to the knee joint, and knee stretches help with range of motion. Knee physical therapy and knee stretches can significantly improve your mobility.

Knee Pain Doctor NYC is a group of state-of-the-art pain management centers led by board-certified knee pain doctors. Our knee pain specialists use cutting-edge diagnostic techniques to determine the root cause of knee pain and curate a personalized treatment plan, which may include rest, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, corticosteroids, and other minimally invasive solutions. We only recommend conservative and minimally invasive treatments for knee pain — no surgeries or addictive opioids.

You can find our knee pain doctors in Midtown Manhattan or the Financial District. Our Midtown Manhattan office is located at 290 Madison, right beside the Grand Central Station and Penn Station. Our Financial District office is close to the New York Stock Exchange and 9/11 Tribute Museum. Please schedule an appointment at our knee pain center in New York City.