Knee osteoarthritis can make your knees feel stiff and swollen and change their shape over time. This article teaches you about different exercises that can help you reduce the pain.
Hamstring Stretch
Stretching keeps you flexible and reduces your odds of pain and injuries. To do this exercise:
● Warm up with a 5-minute walk, then lie down
● Wrap a bed sheet around your right foot
● Use the sheet to pull your straight leg upwards
● Hold the position for 20 seconds, then lower the leg
● Repeat the exercise twice and switch legs
Straight Leg Raise
For this exercise:
● Lie on the floor and support your upper body using your elbows
● Bend your left knee with your foot on the floor
● Keep the right leg straight with toes pointed upwards
● Tighten your thigh muscles and lift your left leg
● Pause for 3 seconds before lowering your leg to the ground
● Touch and raise again.
● Do two sets of 10 repetitions while switching legs after each set.
Calf Stretch
To start this exercise:
● Hold a chair and bend your right leg
● Step backward with your left leg and slowly lift it behind you
● Press your left heel to the floor and hold for 20 seconds
● Repeat twice, then switch legs
Seated Hip March
To do this exercise:
● Sit up straight in a chair
● Kick your left foot back slightly, but leave your toes on the floor
● Lift your right foot off the floor and bend your knee
● Hold the right leg in the air for 3 seconds and slowly lower your foot to the ground
● Do two sets of 10 reps and switch legs after each set
Quad Set
For this exercise:
● Lie on the floor and keep both legs relaxed on the ground
● Flex and tighten the left leg muscle for 5 seconds
● Do two sets of 10 repetitions and change your legs after each set
Heel Raise
To perform this exercise:
● Stand tall and hold the back of a chair
● Raise your heels off the ground and rise on the toes of both feet
● Hold for 3 seconds, then slowly lower both heels to the ground
● Do two sets of 10 repetitions
Pillow Squeeze
This exercise helps you strengthen the inside of your legs to support your knees better. For this exercise:
● Squeeze your knees together and squish the pillow between them.
● Hold for 5 seconds, then relax
● Do two sets of 10 repetitions and switch legs after each set
Conclusion
Knee osteoarthritis can make you feel pain, stiffness, and swelling in your knee. You can use these exercises to reduce discomfort and live an everyday life.
