Strengthening and enhancing joint flexibility in the knees doesn't require the traditional squat exercise; these 5 alternative knee exercises will suffice instead.
Vicky Lewis-Baldy, a chartered physiotherapist, level 4 personal trainer, and founder of Hybrid Health, offers valuable insights on maintaining strong and stable knees. With over 20 years of experience in health and wellness, Lewis-Baldy emphasises the importance of knee health for preserving mobility, independence, and confidence as we age.
According to Lewis-Baldy, most knee pain cases involve poor posterior chain activation, particularly the glutes. During menopause, a drop in oestrogen can impact the health of connective tissue, cartilage, and muscles, all of which support knee function. Lower hormone levels can increase joint stiffness, reduce muscle mass, and affect balance, making knees more vulnerable to injury and degenerative changes.
To combat these issues, Lewis-Baldy suggests focusing on quality over quantity when performing exercises. Prioritising good alignment and control in every repetition is key to reducing knee strain and improving overall knee health. She advises balancing training by pairing strength work with mobility and recovery, and ensuring enough rest days between workouts.
Lewis-Baldy recommends prioritising weight training to train smarter, not harder. She advises including strength and control-based exercises rather than solely relying on cardio. Here are some recommended exercises to strengthen the quadriceps and glutes for improving knee health and stability:
- Glute bridges with heel drive or ball squeeze: Lying on your back with knees bent, push through the heels to lift hips while squeezing the glutes. This strengthens the glutes and reduces knee strain by improving alignment.
- Wall sits with ball squeeze: Slide down a wall into a squat position, holding for 10-20 seconds. This targets the quadriceps, essential for knee stability.
- Step-ups: Step onto a sturdy platform with one foot followed by the other. This strengthens both quadriceps and hip muscles, supporting knee and hip function.
- Side-lying leg raises: Lie on one side and lift the top leg upward to strengthen hip abductors, which help keep the knee aligned during movement.
- Straight leg raises: Lying flat, lift one straight leg to the height of the bent knee, strengthening the quadriceps without stressing the knee.
- Hip abduction and extension with resistance bands: Using bands to provide resistance during hip movements boosts glute strength and knee stability.
- Terminal knee extensions (TKEs): Using resistance bands, repeatedly straighten the knee to retrain and strengthen the quadriceps.
Additional supporting exercises include mini lunges, single-leg step-downs, hamstring curls, and calf raises to enhance overall lower limb strength and support for the knee joint.
Important tips for effectiveness include starting with gentle, controlled movements to avoid knee overload, warming up before and stretching after workouts to enhance flexibility and reduce soreness, performing exercises consistently (4-5 times per week) for best results, and focusing on both quadriceps and glute/hip strengthening because poor glute activation is a common contributor to knee pain and instability.
These exercises not only improve knee joint strength and mobility but also help preserve long-term function and reduce pain risks associated with daily activities and aging. For more expert advice on knee health and rehabilitation, visit Hybrid Health, a specialist physiotherapy clinic based on Milsom Street in Bath.
- Vicky Lewis-Baldy, founder of Hybrid Health, recommends focusing on glute bridges with heel drive or ball squeeze to strengthen the glutes and reduce knee strain.
- To improve knee stability, Lewis-Baldy suggests adding wall sits with ball squeeze to one's fitness-and-exercise routine, as this targets the quadriceps.
- Step-ups, both strengthening the quadriceps and hip muscles, can help support overall fitness and knee health, according to Lewis-Baldy.
- To retrain and strengthen the quadriceps, consider incorporating terminal knee extensions (TKEs) using resistance bands into your health-and-wellness regimen, as recommended by Lewis-Baldy.
