At Crafted Physical Therapy, we understand how difficult it can be to exercise while recovering from a knee injury. It’s best to take it slow, but that doesn’t mean you have to be completely sedentary. Here are some exercises that you can do to help you if you’re suffering from knee pain.
Before we jump into the exercises, we need to answer what everyone is thinking, “Wouldn’t exercising during an injury make it worse?” While this is an understandable question, if your knee pain is caused by an injury, surgery, or arthritis, stretching and strengthening can be a huge help and increase your mobility. Stretching and strength exercises build strength in your muscles, which gives your knee joint more support.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, stretching can help your range of motion and flexibility, making it easier to move freely. Don’t try to jump right into stretching, though, because that could further injure you. First, spend around 10 minutes completing a low-impact exercise. A great one to try is cycling! After you’ve completed your activity, you’re ready to stretch. Here are some stretches you can try.
Heel and Calf Stretch
Quadriceps Stretch
Hamstring Stretch
Strengthening
Stretching helps with range of motion, while strength exercises help to build and strengthen the muscles around the knee. Try these exercises to start:
Half Squat
Calf Raises
Hamstring Curls
Leg Extensions
Following your strength training, be sure to complete the stretches mentioned above again.
Feeling Stronger, Now What?
If you have been consistently stretching and performing strength exercises, and feel confident in doing so, consider gradually adding other types of exercises like yoga, walking, or water aerobics.
As always, feel free to contact us if you have any concerns about your knee pain or for more exercise suggestions. Our physical therapists would love to help you get back to what you love!