Over 350 million people worldwide suffer from arthritis, and knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms. If you suffer from this condition, exercise can help improve your mobility, reduce pain, and delay the progression of your condition. However, it is important to choose exercises carefully as some can worsen knee pain and aggravate your symptoms.
This article will discuss safe exercises for people with knee osteoarthritis.
It’s a type of arthritis that affects the knee joint. This happens when the cartilage in the knee breaks down, and the bones start to rub together. This makes the knees hurt, become stiff, and sometimes swell up. Although there is no cure for osteoarthritis, treatments exist to help manage the pain and progression of the disease. Surgery may be an option if you have a more severe form of osteoarthritis.
Almost all arthritic knees have some degree of pain, but other common symptoms include:
The straight leg raise (SLR) is an essential strengthening exercise for the lower extremity musculature. It is often used in rehabilitation programs to improve hip and knee stability and strength.
The straight leg raise may be too tough for some. If so, try quad sets instead. With quads sets, you don’t raise your leg; tighten the thigh muscles of one leg at a time while lying on your back. Start by tightening the muscles in the front of your thigh and hold for 5 seconds before releasing. Repeat this 10 times with each leg.
The pillow squeeze is a simple exercise that can help strengthen the muscles around your knee joint. To perform the pillow squeeze, place a small pillow between your thighs and squeeze it as tightly as you can. Hold the squeeze for a few seconds, then release and repeat 2 times with 10 repetitions.
For this workout, you will need a chair for support. Start by positioning yourself tall with both feet flat on the ground. Lift your heels so that only your toes are touching the ground, and hold this position for three seconds before slowly lowering back down to full foot contact. Repeat this process ten times for two sets in total.
Let’s try a one-leg balance exercise. Stand next to a wall or chair for support and lift your right foot off the ground. Hold that position for 20 seconds, then switch to the other foot. Repeat the exercise 2 times on each leg.
Note: You should not experience any pain during these exercises. If so, stop the exercise and consult your Exercise Physiologist/Physiotherapist.
You should exercise for at least 30 minutes five times a week. However, if your knee osteoarthritis is very severe, you should start with shorter and less frequent sessions, such as 10 minutes three times a week. As you get a stronger grip on the exercise, you can increase the duration gradually and frequency of your workouts.
Your first step to wellness with
Pivot Health Group
© 2023 All Rights Reserved By Pivot Health Group Pty Ltd
