Exercises To Help Relieve Knee Pain Caused By Excess Weight

 

A person sitting

1 in 4 adults in the US struggle with chronic knee pain. Most of these people experience knee pain due to higher body weight. With more weight, the body exerts more pressure on the knees. This reduces the cartilage in the knees and other joints and can lead to mobility issues in the long run. A proper diet and exercise plan designed around improving knee health and relieving the pain is important to keep the pain under control and prevent future knee-related issues. Here are some exercises you can try to relieve knee pain and condition the muscles around it.

Warm Up Properly

The biggest mistake people make when it comes to stretching muscles and relieving pain is not warming up properly. Warming up increases your heart rate and improves blood flow. It also helps oxygen to absorb better and enhances the connections between your muscles and nerves. Without warming up, you’re at risk of muscle damage. This will increase your knee pain and prevent you from improving your fitness. So always warm up for at least 15 minutes before performing any type of workout.

 

A woman in workout gear

Ups And Downs With A Chair

The simplest exercise you can try for your knee pain is doing ups and downs. Grab an armless chair and sit on it with your feet firmly on the ground. Slowly stand up without any external support, hold for a few seconds, and then sit back down again. Repeat this for a minute, take a rest, and go again.

Stretching Hamstrings

Another easy exercise is to stretch your muscles and relieve the pressure on your knees. With hamstring stretch, you need to sit on a chair and straighten your leg in front of you. Now try pushing your navel downwards without bending forward. Once done, repeat the same on the other leg and do at least three sets of 10 reps.

Calf Exercise

Calf exercises are great for burning fat and improve blood flow. You can try calf raises or calf stretches to condition your legs. With calf raises, you need to find support, hold it, and raise your heels as high as possible. Hold the position and slowly go back to the original position. Do 3 or 4 sets of 10 reps for optimal results.

Leg Raises

Once you’re ready to take things up a notch, leg raise is a good exercise to start with. It’s a bit more challenging and can offer better pain relief. All you need to do for the exercise is lie down flat on the floor and fully extend your leg one at a time. Hold the position for 1 to 3 seconds and slowly lower the leg down. Repeat in sets of 8 to 10 leg raises.

 

Jump rope exercises

Swimming

Another great exercise for people with knee pain is swimming. Swimming lowers the weight on your knees and improves your movement. This gives a muscle conditioning effect and helps strengthen the muscles. Moreover, due to the higher density of water compared to air, you can get better outcomes through swimming. However, don’t push yourself too hard because swimming can quickly exhaust a person and cause muscle pain.

Jogging

Jogging is a great low-impact alternative to running that doesn’t strain your knees and improves blood flow. When it comes to jogging, you should figure out what works for you. Ultimately, the goal is to condition your muscles and improve your blood flow to decrease knee pain. So if you’re only jogging for 10 minutes each day, that’s good enough, too, as long as you maintain consistency.

Wall Squats

Squats can seriously strain your knee, but there is a way to do them without putting too much pressure. Wall squats are an advanced form of squats where you stand with your back against a wall, keep your feet at shoulder width, and slowly bend your legs. Hold the position for 10 to 15 seconds and slowly get back up. Repeat this a few times to complete the rep.

 

A person sitting outside

Step Ups

Doing step-ups is relatively easy, even if it involves a lot of knee movement. All you need is a bench, step, or platform slightly higher than the ground. Keep your core muscles relaxed and your pelvis straight. Bend your knee and step on the platform with one foot. Now repeat the movement using the other leg. Do these 15 to 20 times for best results. As you get comfortable with this exercise, try to raise the height of the platform to improve your results.

Find More Personalized Workout Plans With The Start Today App

The Start Today app was developed to serve the black community in America and promote well-being. More than 200 different fitness activities, including HIIT workouts, yoga, aerobics, and low-impact training, are available through the app. There are more than 1000 unique videos with different exercise plans accessible.

You can also take a look at the personalized meal plans to help you keep up a healthy diet. The app also has coaches who can provide you with health advice to increase your productivity and push you closer to your fitness goals. Download the app and Start Today!

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