Why Quadricep Strengthening Is Vital for Knee Pain Relief
Knee pain can significantly impact your daily activities, making simple tasks like squatting or climbing stairs difficult. Your quadriceps are the primary muscles responsible for straightening your knees. Therefor, quadriceps strengthening is vital for relieving knee pain.
However, it’s important to do it right as poor technique can actually worsen knee pain. In this post, you’ll learn the best quad strengthening exercises for knee pain relief, plus how to do them properly.
What Not to Do: Ineffective Exercises
Before diving into effective strengthening exercises, it’s crucial to understand what to avoid. Three commonly prescribed quadricep exercises often do not yield the desired results for individuals with knee pain:
- Straight Leg Raise: This exercise primarily engages the quadriceps but lacks real-life application for most patients, except in specific post-surgery cases.
- Quad Set: While beneficial immediately post-surgery to activate the quadriceps, it does not contribute to overall strength improvement.
- Knee Extension: This exercise may strengthen the quadriceps under heavy loads but fails to prepare individuals for everyday movements.
Effective Quadricep Strengthening Exercises
To effectively strengthen your quadriceps and reduce knee pain, focus on exercises that mimic daily activities.
1. Chair Squats
Chair squats are an excellent way to build strength while maintaining proper form. Start by standing in front of a chair and slowly lower your body down as if you’re going to sit. Focus on:
- Lowering your body slowly (4-7 seconds).
- Keeping your knees aligned with your toes.
- Returning to a standing position quickly.
Repeat this for 10 repetitions, gradually increasing depth and/or adding weight as you gain strength.
2. Heel Elevated Squats
If you experience knee pain when doing squats, it may be due to stiffness in your ankles. Try elevating your heels on weight plates while performing squats to see if it relieves your knee pain. This adjustment allows you to maintain a upright trunk position while strengthening your quads
3. Spanish Squats
This exercise is particularly beneficial for individuals with patellar tendinopathy. Place a pull-up band around the back of your knees and sink down into a squat position. Try to hold this position for 10 seconds at first, gradually increasing your hold time as you improve.
4. Lunges
Lunging variations can significantly improve strength and mobility. Start with:
- Split Squats: Keep one foot forward and lower your body down, ensuring your knee stays behind your toes.
- Reverse Lunges: Step back into a lunge to maintain knee alignment.
- Forward Lunges: This is more challenging but essential for building strength. Ensure your knee travels over your toe responsibly.
Perform these variations for 10 repetitions each, adjusting as necessary based on your comfort level.
5. Step-Ups
Stand sideways next to a stair, book, or aerobic step. Step up onto the stair and then lower down slowly. Start with a lower step height if you have knee pain, and then progress to a higher step as you get stronger. As an alternative, you can step up forward on the step and then step down backwards.
How Often to Do Quad Strengthening for Knee Pain Relief
If you’re only doing bodyweight exercises or adding light weight you can and likely should do quadriceps strengthening exercises daily. We use our quadriceps every day for things like standing up from chairs and going up stairs.
As you start doing heavier strengthening exercises such as weighted squats and lunges, perform these exercises 2-3 times per week in addition to your bodyweight exercises. Remember to focus on proper form and gradual progression. If you get knee pain when doing quad strengthening exercises, consult a physical therapist for personalized guidance.