Achy Knees When You Work Out? Add These 6 Strengthening Moves To Your Routine STAT
When it comes to strengthening your body, major muscle groups—hamstrings, quads, chest, and core—might come to mind first. But if you’re not regularly incorporating moves into your exercise routine that focus on strengthening your knees, you're missing out on both comfort *and* gains.
“To say the knee is the most complex joint in the body would be an understatement,” says Ellen Thompson, a NASM-certified trainer at Blink Fitness. “From its anatomy to its functionality to its tenacity and fragility, the knee is a masterpiece—one that, when strengthened properly, can get you achieving almost any fitness goal you set your sights on.”
Plus, you (most often unknowingly) use your knees to power you through everyday movements, making strengthening them super-important, according to Marnie Kunz, a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified run coach.
“Having healthy knees allows you to function [better] in daily life, as well as perform [better] in sports and fitness activities,” she says. And, strong knees also keep your form ideal when exercising, which is key in reducing the risk of injuries.
That being said, the knee is a joint—not a muscle—which means you can’t technically strengthen it. What you can do is strengthen the surrounding muscles, which helps stabilize the joints, says Thompson. These muscles include the quadriceps, hamstrings, and adductors (which are the muscles on your inner thighs).
“The stronger the quad, hamstrings, and adductor are, the better the range of motion you’ll achieve in an exercise movement, and with better range of motion comes better results,” Thompson says.
So, how can you tell if your knees are relatively weak? For starters, if you’re going into a lunge, squat, or any exercise that requires your knee to bend, and you feel unstable, that’s a key sign, says Thompson. Another test is mid-walk or run. If your gait while running or walking feels wobbly, that’s also a sign the muscles surrounding your knee joint could use some strengthening, says Kunz.
Here, Kunz and Thompson share their top exercises for strengthening the knee, why they're effective, and exactly how to do them. You can perform the moves below in a sequence for a knee-strengthening workout, or work the exercises into your typical strength routine more regularly.
1. Half Turkish Get-Up
Why it rocks: As Thompson notes, strengthening the knee means strengthening the three main muscles which surround its joint: hamstrings, quads, and adductors. With this compound move, you’re covered for all three.
How to: Lie on back with right leg and arm straight on the floor at a 45-degree angle from body, left leg bent so foot is flat on the floor and left arm extended up toward ceiling (elbow locked out) holding a kettlebell. With eyes on kettlebell, press into right arm and sit up, coming onto right forearm. Press through right palm and left foot to lift hips into air, keeping right leg straight. Slowly reverse the movement to return to starting position. That’s one rep. Complete for 3 sets of 10 reps.
2. Isometric Squat
Why it rocks: With a squat, you’re (again) targeting the knee joint’s main three protecting muscles. But as Kunz explains, its isometric variation removes pressure from the knee joint itself, all while continuing to strengthen the quads, hamstrings, and adductors.
How to: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands clasped in front of your chest, gaze neutral. Push hips back as you bend knees. Stop when thighs are almost parallel to the ground. Hold for 30 seconds, keeping tension throughout the glutes and hamstrings. Release. Rest for 30 seconds in standing position, then repeat 2 more times.
3. Dumbbell Good Morning
Why it rocks: While good mornings are a rockstar move for strengthening your hamstrings, your back and core is also activated during the exercise—key in keeping your spine stabilized for better balance. This move also puts minimal pressure on the knees.
How to: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart while holding a pair of dumbbells on top of shoulders, palms facing inward. This is starting position. Keeping knees slightly bent and torso straight, slowly hinge from the hips until chest is parallel to the floor. Pause, then slowly return to starting position. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.
4. Alternating Lunge with Bicep Curl
Why it rocks: Another one of Thompson’s favorites, this quad-hamstring-adductor burner also incorporates upper-body movement to increase coordination. “Really focus on the muscle-mind connection around the knee [when doing this move],” she emphasizes. “Not only will [this movement] lead to strengthening, but it will also improve your coordination, stability, and agility.”
How to: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, a dumbbell in each hand. Step forward with right foot as left leg sinks into half-squat. Right knee should be just over right foot. At bottom of movement, bend elbows to curl dumbbells to shoulder-height. Pause, then lower dumbbells back to your thighs. Press through right foot to step back into starting position. That’s one rep. Repeat on other leg. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.
5. Side Leg Lift
Why it rocks: “Side leg lifts build strength in your glutes, hip abductors, and outer thighs, which will help stabilize your lower body and decrease your chances of knee injuries,” says Kunz.
How to: Lie on right side, feet flexed and stacked on top of each other. Place left hand on ground in front of chest to stabilize the body. Keep the body in a straight line, tailbone tucked. With left foot flexed and leg straight, lift leg toward the ceiling. Lift leg upwards as far as is comfortable, then lower. Repeat on opposite leg. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.
6. Isometric Quad Raise
Why it rocks: Another low-impact, low-movement isometric exercise, these quad raises are one of Kunz’s favorites for strengthening the muscles surrounding the knee joint. “This exercise strengthens the quad muscle, which runs from your knee up the top of your leg,” she says. “Tight, overworked, weak quads are a common source of knee pain.”
How to: Grab a small, rolled-up towel or similar object and place under right quad just above knee. Lie down on back with legs straight, feet neutral, and hands at sides. Lift right foot up as you squeeze right quad, using towel or object for support. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on opposite leg. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
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