Your knees may not be at the forefront of your mind when you step foot in the gym come leg day, but if you want to lift heavier, build muscle, and move more efficiently, you need to pay them some attention. Whether it be walking, running, climbing up stairs, or picking something up off the floor, healthy knees are essential for everyday movement.
"You shouldn’t underestimate the importance of having healthy knees as you age too,” says Sean Murphy Chief Personal Training Officer at Ultimate Performance. “Conditions like osteoporosis and arthritis and sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass) are concerns as we get older. I’ve trained many clients in their 60s and 70s for whom even the simple act of walking was difficult because of weak knees.”
Strengthen your knees now and your body will thank you later. Below, Sean shares five exercises that can help do just that…
1. Lateral banded walks
“Your hip muscles (specifically your gluteus medius) are very important when it comes to stabilizing your knees and too many people overlook this,” says Sean. When you squat, or walk, or run, it is the lateral hip muscles that work to ensure the knee tracks in line with the foot and does not ‘cave in’. Lateral band walks are a great exercise to strengthen your lateral hip muscles, and, as a result, your knee stability.”
To do:
- Place a small resistance band around your knees or ankles
- Squat down very slightly (not a deep squat, only a few inches)
- Move one leg to the side, and then move your trailing leg in the same direction
- Repeat this for between 8-12 reps, then reverse the motion so that you do 8-12 reps in the opposite direction
- Focus on keeping your shoulders, hips, and knees, in line at all times.
2. Squats
Sean suggests starting using just your body weight to help focus on your form and nail your technique. Once you master this, you can add some extra resistance, such as using a barbell and weight plates, holding a kettlebell, or using dumbbells. “Keep your shoulders, hips and knees in line as you squat, as this will reduce the risk of your knees ‘caving in’, which is why so many people suffer an injury,” he says.
- Start with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and your toes slightly turned out
- Place your arms either out in front of you for balance, or clasp your hands together
- Keep your shoulders back, chest upright and take a sharp breath in to brace your core
- Sit your bum back (as if you’re trying to sit on a chair) and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor
- Hold here for a second, then push through your feet to return to the standing position
3. Step ups
These are another great exercise that will help you practice keeping your hips in line and an upright posture to increase knee stability. “Because of where your weight is distributed in relation to your knees, you are not putting excess pressure through your joint capsules,” says Sean. At home you could use a sturdy surface, like a coffee table or even the step on your stairs, whereas at the gym a weight bench will do.
- Stand in front of weight bench, plyobox or a sturdy home surface (chair/small coffee table) with your feet shoulder-width apart
- Place your hands on your hips and tuck your elbows in
- Step onto your platform using your front leg (make sure you’re not pushing off your back leg for extra momentum)
- Once you have fully straightened your front leg, bring your back leg forwards onto the platform and hold here for a second
- Step backwards with your back leg to return to the start position and don’t forget to switch sides
4. Dumbbell Romanian deadlifts
If you find squats difficult because you struggle with mobility in your knee, then Sean suggests giving Romanian deadlifts a go with a pair of dumbbells instead. RDLs are a hip hinge movement, so they place a far less significant bend in your knee compared to exercises like the squat. They also seriously strengthen your hamstrings and glute muscles, which will support the ligaments around the knee.
To do:
- Stand tall with your shoulder blades pinned back, your feet hip-width apart and a soft bend in your knees
- Hold the dumbbells in front of you, they should be in contact with your thighs
- Look at the floor in front of you, brace your core, then push your hips backwards and bend forward at the hips
- Lower the dumbbells as far as possible until you can go no further without the lower back rounding or the knees moving
- Pause for a moment in the bottom position and drive your hips forwards and squeeze your glutes to return to the start position
5. Hip thrusts
"Weak glutes can cause knee pain and hip thrusts are a great way to really develop the gluteus maximus without putting your knees under any excess pressure during the exercise," says Sean. Again, if our glutes are weak, it can cause our thigh to turn inwards placing excessive stress on the knee joint. You can use just your bodyweight or incorporate free weights, or even use a barbell to make it harder.
To do:
- Sit straight-legged on the floor with your upper back resting against a sofa or weight bench (something sturdy)
- Tuck your feet in towards your buttocks and keep your feet roughly shoulder-width apart
- Drive your hips upwards towards the ceiling, pushing through your heels, squeezing your glutes, and keeping your knees in line with your toes
- In the top position your hips should be fully extended and your torso parallel to the floor
- Pause for a moment and focus on contracting your glutes with a slight upward rotation of the pelvis
- Lower your hips back down towards the floor
- Repeat for the desired number of reps
