A knee injury or knee pain doesn’t need to completely derail your exercise program. Slow it down? Sure.
Isn’t it amazing how forgiving our bodies are once we exit our Twenties? Have you noticed how it all seems to catch up with us at once?
There is, however, one area in particular where our overuse and abuse seem to shout a bit louder to us. It’s the most complicated joint in the body and takes the brunt of supporting our weight as we walk around every day. I would imagine from the title you have gathered that I’m talking about the knee. So what happens if there is an injury, arthritis, or knee pain present in your body?
Does it mean all exercise has to stop?
Well, it depends…
Check in with your doctor before you start to exercise with knee pain.
Speak to your doctor first and learn all of the facts about exercising with a knee injury or knee pain.
For starters, if you are injured in any way whether it’s your knee or any other part of the body, speak to your doctor and get the facts before you begin working out. If your physician says it’s ok to exercise but wants you to take it easy on your injured knee, then take note of the exercises I’m about to share with you.
These three moves will develop strength and flexibility in your hips, core, and upper-body. That strength will not only be effective for fat loss, but it will offer more support in aiding your knees in the future. Thus, they won’t carry the sole responsibility of supporting your every movement as you gain muscle tone.
Remember though…stop your workout immediately if you feel any twinges of knee pain. Even if your doctor gave you the go-ahead to workout, she probably advised you to take it slowly Right?
These three exercises are suggested as a general guideline to follow in the presence of knee pain if exercise is still a viable option and allowed by your physician.
Three Exercises for Knee Pain Sufferers to Try (with Doctor Consent)
1 – Fly Like Superman
The Superman is a wonderful low impact core exercise that targets the lower back and helps increase hip and shoulder joint flexibility. The movement is small but offers huge benefits. This can be done anywhere and only requires a mat. If you sit for hours on end, this will help you strengthen the weak muscles of the spine while stretching out tight hip flexors.
Here’s how to do the Superman move.
2 – A Seated Abdominal Twist
This exercise develops strength in the core, back, and hip flexors. Aside from the obvious benefits to your mid-section, seated twists allow you to use at least one of the muscles responsible for knee extension…which is a movement usually put on hold with an injury. The “rectus femoris” is a biarticular muscle since it crosses over both the hip and knee joints. Therefore, in a seated twist position, you get the benefits of using one of your quads for static hip flexion as you twist.
Here is a visual example of how to do a seated abdominal twist from one of the Livestrong trainers.
3 – Upper Body Resistance Band
Building strength in the upper body is important whether there is a knee injury or not. Just learning the proper way to stand while working on a completely different muscle group can deliver huge benefits. Take a look at this video demonstrating how to work your upper back, triceps, and biceps using the resistance bands.
So with a doctor’s permission, you can still reach your fitness goals despite knee pain or injury. In fact, you will probably feel even more empowered since you are staying proactive in your own well-being and recovery rather than sitting around feeling like a helpless victim.
Remember, first, to chat with your doctor about your intention to workout. Then, keep yourself armed with facts and techniques about how to complete each of these exercises safely. Indeed, you may end up in better shape and have a significant reduction in knee pain.
She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificates in Natural Health and Herbology from accredited programs. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
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