Hey everybody, it's Doctor Jo.
Today we're gonna talk about some knee strengthening exercises.
So you've already checked out the knee stretching exercises, you got your knee nice and stretched
out.
And so now you want to strengthen it to keep it strong.
So it's not putting pressure on that joint to cause that pain.
So today, I'm gonna show you some really simple exercises things that you can change the height
to make it harder or easier depending on how you can do it at home.
So the first one we're gonna do is just a simple step up.
If you have a step at home you can use the whole step, but that might be too much to
start off with cause the key to this is using correct technique and using control.
So you're not using momentum.
So the first thing we're gonna do, I've got set up here just some books.
Some nice hard cover books.
I knew my PT books would be good for something after I graduated, so what I'm gonna do is
I'm gonna have them set up here.
And if you want to, make it a little lower you can just take a book off, make it a little
higher, add another book.
Again, if you want to use your step, you can try your step, it might not be quite what
you need, but if not you can add a book or take a book away.
So first thing I'm gonna have you do is you want to put the knee that you want to strengthen
up on the step.
The key here is you want your knee to always stay behind your toes.
So if you're going forward like this, see how my knee goes in front of my toes?
That's really, really bad for your knee.
All that pressure ends up going on your knee, and that's just gonna make it hurt more.
You want to keep your knee behind your toes and use your gluteus muscles in the back,
your thigh muscles, those are the big strong muscles you want to use.
If you need something to hold on to, you can hold on to the rail by your step, you can
do it at a counter top and hold onto your counter top, or a table, anything like that.
But what you're gonna do is you're gonna do it in slow motion.
So you're really almost gonna count to 3 as you go.
So you're gonna go 1, 2, 3.
As you go up, now the key it's just as important to go that slow coming down.
So you're gonna go 1, 2, 3, coming back down.
So don't step up and step down, that's using momentum, that's not using your muscles.
Remember you want to go nice and slow.
1, 2, 3 and then back down, 1, 2, 3.
Same kind of thing when you're working out, you want to go until you feel the burn, once
you feel the burn, try and do 2 more repetitions.
The next one I'm gonna show you is some simple lunges.
You can use your books again to give you a target to go to.
So with this one, it's different.
The higher up, the easier it is.
The lower down, the harder it is.
So what you're gonna do is you're gonna step over you books, and you want the books to
be the target for your knee in the back.
Same kind of concept, though, you want your knee to stay behind your toes.
So if you're lunging forward like this, see how far my knee goes in front of my toes?
That's really, really bad for your knee.
So you want to drop your body straight down.
Same kind of thing, you want to be controlled.
1, 2, 3 my knee touches the book, so I know where I am, come back up 1, 2, 3.
Switch feet after do your reps until it burns and then 2 more reps.
And you're gonna go 1, 2, 3.
My knee staying behind my toes, and back up 1, 2, 3.
The other key is you want your back, upper body to be straight up.
You don't want to be over like this, you don't want to lean back like this.
You want to be in a nice plane.
Your back straight, no pain anywhere, going down, coming back up.
Ok the last one I'm gonna have you do.
You can take the books out of the way.
You can either use a chair, you can use coffee table if you have it.
Same kind of thing.
If you need some extra height, you can but a book up here cause this is basically gonna
be a target, you're not actually gonna be sitting down on it.
What I'm gonna have you do is you're gonna spread your feet out about shoulder width
apart.
You don't want to be super far out, and you don't want your feet to be together, but you
want to be a little bit past shoulder width, or shoulder width apart.
Now the key to this one is you really wanna stick your bottom back like you're trying
to find it like you're going to sit down in a chair.
I tell the women it's kind of like you're squatting on a public toilet, you don't really
want to sit all the way down.
The guys might not quite get that, here's the key, again you don't want those knees
going in front of your toes.
So if you're squatting down like this, that's not, I don't want you to do that.
You're reaching your bottom back until I feel that book, and then I'm coming back up.
Now for me, I don't really need the book.
You might not need the book, your height might be good.
So you're reaching back, just touching, as soon as you touch it, come back up.
Make sure you're controlled.
Make sure your weight is on your whole feet.
You're not going back on your heels, you're not going up on your toes.
Even it out, you find it, you come back up.
If you feel like you're sitting down, put a couple of books on there for the target,
so you're not going down quite as far.
Nice and controlled, tapping it, coming back up.
Alright, so there you have it, those were your knee strengthening exercises.
So remember mobilize, stretch, then strengthen.
If you liked those exercises, please click the like button, and leave us a comment.
And if you would like to see more exercise videos or some educational videos, please
check out my website at AskDoctorJo.com.
And remember, have fun, be safe, and I hope you feel better soon!