How Can I Make my Knees Stronger? – List of 21 Knee Strengthening Exercises to Get Started.

The purpose of quad clenches is to strengthen the quad muscles. This exercise is performed without moving the knee, which makes it a great exercise especially in the first few days or weeks following a knee injury or a knee surgery.

How to perform Quad clenches?

• You should lie on the ground on your back,
• Push your knee down which will tighten the muscles of the front of the thigh,
• Hold in this position for a couple of seconds,
• Repeat this exercise every 3 to 4 hours a day. Do 10 to 20 repetitions each time.

Sometimes, getting the knee in a total straight position is impossible immediately after a knee injury or knee injury. In these cases, you can modify this exercise a little bit, so you will be more comfortable. You can put a rolled towel underneath the ankle as the gravity will help the knee get into a straightened position.

If you want to better understand how to perform quad clenches for strengthening the muscles of your lower extremities, than you can watch the following video.

The purpose of short arcs is to strengthen the quad muscles as well. This exercise is also performed without moving the knee which can be very convenient in the initial phase of recovery. Short arcs will help you regain the strength and control of your knee.

How to perform Short arcs?

• Lie on your back on the ground, or if you prefer you can sit but you should keep your leg straightened forward on a flat surface, such as a sofa or bed,
• Under the knee, you should place a rolled out towel for support,
• Start pulling the toes towards you,
• Slowly lift the affected leg up off the bed while still pulling the toes towards you, until the knee reaches into a straight position,
• Make sure not to move the knee or lift it. Your knee should remain resting on the rolled up towel,
• Hold onto that position for a couple of seconds,
• Slowly return to the starting position,
• Perform this exercise at least 3 times a day, and do 10 to 20 repetitions each time.

Based on your recovery progress, you can increase the size of the towel which you will place under the knee, or you can start putting some weight on the leg such as wearing a shoe or using a light ankle weight.

However, be careful with this progression. Take all the time needed to recover as putting more weight than your leg and knee is able to hold can result in an injury or worsen of the situation.

If you want to better understand how to perform short arcs for strengthening the muscles of your lower extremities, than you can watch the following video.

The purpose of straight leg raise is to strengthen the quad muscles without bending the knee. This exercise is not recommended for those who have a medical history of spine and back problems.

How to perform Straight leg raise?

• Lie on your back on a flat surface,
• Keep the injured leg and knee into a straighten out position,
• Keep the other leg bent,
• Pull the toes toward you,
• Make sure not to move your knee, as it should be straightly locked,
• Start lifting the foot from the flat surface until you reach about 6 inches,
• Hold onto that position for a couple of seconds,
• Slowly return your leg to the starting position,
• Perform this exercise at least twice a day and do 10 to 20 repetitions each time.

Based on your recovery speed and progress, you can put some weight on your affected leg.

As mentioned in previous exercises, be very careful and don’t add more weight than your leg and knee can handle. You don’t want to end up with another injury, don’t you?

If you want to better understand how to perform straight leg raise for strengthening the muscles of your lower extremities, then you can watch this video.

The purpose of long arcs is to increase the knee mobility, prevent it from getting stiff and strengthen the squad muscles at the same time.

How to perform Long arcs?

• Sit on a chair and keep your knee bent,
• Keep your foot on the floor,
• Lift the foot slowly until you straighten the knee,
• Hold onto this position for a couple of minutes,
• Repeat this exercise at least three times a day and do 5 to 20 repetitions each time.

Probably you won’t be able to straighten the knee completely in the first few days of your recovery following a knee injury and especially a knee injury.

However, you should be persistent and perform this exercise a couple of times a day until you are able to straighten the knee completely. You can add an ankle weight as well if you feel that you can do it.

If you want to better understand how to perform long arcs for strengthening the muscles of your lower extremities, then watch the following video.

The purpose of knee marching is to strengthen the quad muscles as well. A good thing with knee marching is that it does not include putting any weight on the affected knee, which is normally very convenient in the early stage of recovery.

Knee marching is a great exercise which will prevent your knee from getting stiff when performed regularly a couple of times a day during recovery.

However, you can progress with knee marching by adding some weight on your affected knee, if you feel ready and if you think that you can handle it.

How to perform knee marching?

• Sit on a chair,
• Keep your foot on the floor,
• March the legs up and down,
• March the legs one at a time,
• During this movement, your knee will be lifted up and then it will return back down to the starting position,
• Repeat this exercise a couple of times a day,
• You should perform knee marching for at least one minute.

The purpose of hamstring clenches is to strengthen the hamstring muscles.

This exercise is recommended during the initial phase of recovery, especially after a knee surgery as the knee is not moved while performing hamstring clenches.

Remember that the foot should not be moved from its position if you want to perform this exercise correctly.

How to perform Hamstring clenches?

• Sit on a chair,
• Hold your feet firmly on the floor,
• Hold your heels against the leg of the chair,
• Press the heels backwards into the chair leg,
• Hold in that position for a couple of seconds,
• Perform this exercise twice or three times a day, 10 to 20 repetitions.

The purpose of buttock kicks is to strengthen the hamstring muscles as well. Buttock kicks will also increase the range of motion of the affected knee.

This exercise will promote the blood circulation too, and all this without putting any weight on the affected knee, which is very important, especially during the first few days and weeks of recovery.

How to perform Buttock kicks?

• Lie on the floor on your abdomen,
• Keep your legs straight,
• Lift the affected leg off the floor and bring it toward your bottom,
• Return back to the starting position slowly,
• Perform this exercise three times a day, 10 to 20 repetitions each time.

It is very important to bring your leg as much as you can toward your bottom.

Probably, you won’t be able to bring it all the way to your bottom the first couple of times, but the more you will exercise, the easier it will be and the larger the range of motion will be too.

You can add some weight as well. For this purpose you can wear a shoe or some ankle weight, to make the exercise a little bit harder to perform.

The purpose of kickbacks is to strengthen the hamstring muscles of the leg, but also to increase the range of motion of the affected knee.

It is very important not to bend forward while performing kickbacks. You should keep your knees in line with each other as well.

How to perform Kickbacks?

• Stand up and hold yourself to a firm object such as a chair for better balance,
• Lift your foot toward the bottoms as far as you can,
• Hold in this position for a couple of seconds,
• Slowly return to the starting position,
• Perform kickbacks at least two times a day, 10 to 20 repetitions.

If you feel that you are ready and that you want to make this exercise a little bit harder to perform, you can wear shoes or add some ankle weight, which will normally make the exercise a little bit more difficult.

You will benefit from putting some weight on your affected leg as it will work the muscles harder and faster.

The purpose of buttock clenches is to strengthen the glutes. This exercise is especially recommended during the initial phase of recovery as the knee should not be moving while doing the exercise.

How to perform Buttock clenches?

• You can either lie down or sit,
• Clench your buttocks together,
• Remain in this position for a couple of seconds,
• Return to the starting position,
• Perform this exercise every 3 to 4 hours, 10 to 20 repetitions for a better result.

The purpose of the calm side lying clams is to strengthen the glutes. By strengthening the glutes the knee joint will have more support.

How to perform Calm side lying clams?

• Lie on the floor on your side, with the affected side facing the ceiling,
• Keep your knees and hips bent to a 90 – degree angle,
• Your feet should be kept together during the entire time. It will be easier for you if you squeeze the heels together while doing calm side lying clams,
• Lift the knee as high as you can, but without moving your feet,
• Hold onto that position for a couple of seconds,
• Slowly return to the starting position,
• Perform this exercise at least twice a day, 10 to 20 repetitions.

The purpose of side lying hip abductions is to strengthen the glute muscles. Glute muscles are important stabilizers of the knee joint.

How to perform Side lying hip abductions?

• Lie down on the floor on your side,
• Keep your legs extended into a straight position,
• Your feet should be in a neutral position,
• If you need support you can bend your lower arm and put it under the head,
• The upper arm should rest on your hip,
• Slowly start raising your upper leg,
• Remember to keep the knee extended and the foot into a neutral position while raising your upper leg,
• Keep your hips vertically to the floor and don’t move them,
• Perform this exercise at least twice a day, 10 to 20 repetitions,
• You can also roll over and repeat this exercise with the opposite leg if you prefer,
• If you just want to work out the injured knee, then the affected leg is the one pointing upwards to the ceiling.

A common mistake you can make while performing this exercise is to raise the leg too high, more than it should, which will include raising your hip as well.

The thigh can get into 45 – degree abduction, and any movement beyond this degree involves the movement of the entire hip.

The purpose of glute bridge is to strengthen the glute muscles and the hamstrings.

There are three glute muscles in total, the maximus, the medius and the minimus. Spending all day in a sitting position, especially those who spend hours working on a computer will have weaker glute muscles, but back problems as well.

As glute muscles are a knee joint stabilizer, strengthening these muscles will help you recover faster after a knee injury or a knee surgery regardless its reasons.

Glute bridge is an excellent exercise to improve hip mobility and to strengthen the lower part of your back as well.

How to perform Glute bridge?

• Lie on the floor on your back,
• Keep your feet flat on the ground, while your knees are bent,
• Keep your arms at your side, palms facing the ground,
• Lift the hips from the ground,
• Your hips, shoulders, and knees should form a straight line,
• Squeeze the glute muscles hard,
• Be careful and don’t overextend your back while performing this exercise,
• Hold onto the bridge position for a couple of seconds,
• Slowly return to the starting position,
• Repeat this exercise every day during recovery for better results.

The purpose of x-band walks is to work three muscle groups, the glutes, the hip muscles and the core. To perform this exercise you will need a resistance band.

How to perform X-band walks?

• Stand up while keeping your feet shoulder width apart,
• Put the resistance band looped under each foot,
• Cross the resistance band in front of your legs creating an X,
• Hold the resistance band with your hands at the level of your hips,
• Start walking on your side by taking three lateral steps to the left,
• Get to the starting position,
• Walk on the opposite side, taking three lateral steps on the right.

Deep squatting involves squatting below the parallel. For many deep squatting can be quite a challenge, especially for those who don’t have an athletic background.

You have probably heard that deep squats are not recommended for the health of your knees. However, it has not been proven that deep squats will have a negative effect on the health of your knees. If you think that you can do deep squats, then why not?

The purpose of deep squats is to involve a couple of muscles of your lower body such as the glutes, the hamstrings, and the quads.

Deep squats are a great exercise to improve the movement of your ankles, knees, and hips. Another benefit of deep squats is to improve the stability of your lumbar and pelvic region.

How to perform Deep squats?

• Stand up while keeping your feet at a shoulder – width apart,
• Get yourself down into a squatting position as low as you can,
• Pay attention to keep your posture upright,
• Remain into that deep squat position for a couple of seconds,
• Perform deep squats daily, 10 to 20 repetitions.

The purpose of jump squats is to strengthen a couple of muscle groups such as the calves, the glutes, the hamstrings, the quadriceps and the core muscles at the same time.

Jump squats will also help you build muscle mass on your legs, maintain body balance and increase mobility. Jump squats will help you burn calories as well.

How to perform Jump squats?

• Stand up keeping your feet at shoulder width apart,
• Do a regular squat, but instead of slowly turning back into the starting position like you would do in a regular squat, engage your body core and jump up explosively,
• When lending lower your body again into a squatting position, jumping again back up,
• Make sure to land as quietly as possible,
• Perform this exercise twice or three times a day, about 10 repetitions.

When performing jump squats make sure not to land to heavy on the ground. Also, use your whole foot to jump, but pay attention to your shoulders as well, as they should not lean forward, beyond your knees.

If your shoulders lean forward more than recommended than you can end up with a back strain or injury.

The purpose of heel raise exercise is to strengthen the calf muscles that support the knee and ankle joint. Heel raises will help you while walking, running and jumping as well.

How to perform Heel raise?

• Stand with your feet slightly apart,
• If you need to have more balance than you can hold onto something solid like a chair for example,
• Slowly rise up onto the toes, by lifting your heels as high as possible,
• Make sure to keep your body upright and not bend forwards while performing this exercise
• Hold in that position without moving for about 5 seconds,
• Slowly get yourself back into the starting position,
• Repeat this exercise twice a day, 10 to 30 times.

The purpose of sit to stand exercise is to strengthen two or three muscle groups such as the quad muscles and the hamstring muscles.

Sit to stand exercise will help you improve your general fitness, improving the knee range of mobility at the same time.

How to perform Sit to stand?

• Sit in a chair,
• Keep your feet on the floor,
• Lean forward by lifting your bottoms from the chair,
• Stand up straight,
• Sit back down on the chair,
• Perform this exercise a couple of times a day, 10 to 30 repetitions.

In the initial phase of your recovery, you can use your arms to stand up as it will be easier for you to perform this exercise.

However, during progression don’t use your arms while performing this exercise, starting using a lower chair which will make the standing up part harder or hold a heavy weight while performing this exercise.

The purpose of walking lunge is to engage several muscles of your body. The target muscles are the glutes, the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles.

Walking lunge is a great exercise for stability and body balance as well. This exercise is a great one if you want to have strong and well – shaped legs.

If you want to increase the intensity of walking lunges you can add some weight to make the exercise even harder. However, extra weight is not necessary, especially in the initial phase of recovery after a knee injury or knee surgery.

If walking lunges are performed correctly, even the core muscles can get tighter and stronger.

How to perform Walking lunge?

• Keep your core tight and upright while performing this exercise,
• Stand and keep your feet shoulder – width apart,
• Put your hands on your hips,
• Step forward with one leg, bend the knee and drop your hips,
• Get down as much as you can, your knee nearly touching the ground,
• Remain in that position for a couple of seconds,
• Get yourself back up into the starting position,
• Repeat the walking lunge on the opposite leg,
• Perform this exercise twice a day, 10 to 20 repetitions for each leg.

The purpose of low side to side lunge is to involve and strengthen the glutes, hamstring muscles, and Abs. You don’t need any equipment for this exercise, just your own body.

The focus of side to side lunge is on flexibility and mobility. Low side to side lunge when it comes to the difficulty level is considered an exercise for beginners.

How to perform Low side to side lunge?

• Stand up,
• Keep your feet on a shoulder – width apart,
• Keep your hands clasped in front of the chest,
• Keep your feet facing straight forward,
• Shift your body weight over one leg as you start lowering your body in one side by dropping the hips and bending the knees,
• Remain in this position for a couple of seconds,
• Return to a starting position,
• Perform this exercise twice a day, 10 – 20 repetitions,
• Switch legs by shifting the body weight over the other leg.

Mountain climber is a magic combination of cardio training, core strength, and strength training exercise.

While performing this exercise nearly every muscle of the body will work, such as the squads, the hamstrings, the hip abductors, the chest muscles, the obliques, the deltoids, the triceps and biceps muscles of your arms, etc.

How to perform Mountain climbers?

• Get yourself in a plank position,
• Keep your body straight and your abs pulled in,
• Squeeze your glutes,
• Pull your shoulders away from your ears,
• Pull one knee into your chest,
• Make sure not to sag or come out of the plank position while pulling your knee into the chest,
• Return to the starting position and switch knees,
• Continue doing this exercise by constantly switching the knees, left knee – right knee – left knee  – right knee and so on, just as you run,
• Watch your body position as you perform this exercise. Your body can easily get out of the necessary plank position as you increase the speed and start becoming quicker. The stability of the body core is crucial when performing mountain climbers correctly.

The purpose of reverse hip raise is to strengthen the glute muscles and the hamstring muscles. However, the shoulders are worked too during this exercise, including the spinal erector muscles.

You need a Swiss ball as equipment even though there are many variations when it comes to performing reverse hip raise exercise. The focus of this exercise is on increasing the muscle strength and mobility.

How to perform Reverse hip raise?

• Lie over a Swiss ball while placing your hands on the floor,
• Stabilize your body with your hands and legs before starting the exercise,
• Lift your legs up until they are in a parallel position to the floor,
• Remain in this position for a couple of seconds,
• Slowly return to the starting position,
• Perform this exercise twice a day, about 10 repetitions.

The purpose of lateral band walks is to improve hip stability, knee joint stability, but to strengthen the hip abductor muscles and the gluteus medius muscle.

Having strong glute muscles will not only stabilize the hip, but it will help the knee joint maintain a proper tracking by reducing the stress on the lateral side of the knee, preventing this way any ACL injuries.

How to perform Lateral band walks?

• First of all, it is very important to choose a band with the right strength and resistance,
• Once you have chosen the right band, place it just above the ankle, wrapped around both of your legs,
• Make sure not to bunch the band,
• Keep your feet on a shoulder – width apart, so the band is taught, and not stretched,
• Bend the knees slightly and move into a half – squat position,
• Remain into the half – squat position as you shift your body weight over one leg while taking a step sideways with the other leg,
• Move the leg in and out about 10 times,
• Slowly shift your body weight and switch legs,
• Repeat the same in and out leg movements 10 times with the other leg.

Be careful not to bounce up and down or from one side to the other while performing this exercise if you want to perform it correctly, as your hips will tilt if you do so.

How to choose the right band for lateral band walks? The bands are indicated with colors when it comes to their resistance and progression.

The yellow band is the easiest one, the green band is a moderate one, while the blue band is a hard one. The black band is the hardest band you can use.

You should start with the easiest band, the yellow band or the green band if you already engage in some kind of sports, and then slowly progress over time to other stronger bands.

Knowing how to safely perform knee strengthening exercises is important, especially when recovering from a knee injury. Your physical therapist or doctor will tell you which exercises are suitable for you.

First of all, it is important to take it easy on your knee and to start slowly exercising. Building muscle strength requires a certain amount of time, so be consistent and patient.

Exercise regularly. Some exercises should be performed two to three times a day. Once you get stronger, gradually start increasing the number of exercises you perform, the number of repetitions or the intensity of the knee strengthening exercises.

You can increase the intensity of these exercises by wearing shoes or by putting some ankle weight when you feel ready that you can do it.

Listen to your own body and don’t overdo it. If you exercise more than you should and harder than you should you can end up with muscle soreness or even worse you can end up with a knee injury, a thing you probably don’t want.

Feeling a little bit sore is normal the following day after exercising, but the pain and discomfort you feel should not be too serious nor stop you from exercising again.

If you feel severe pain while doing knee strengthening exercises then you should probably stop. You should take it easier or consult your doctor and physical therapist.

A little bit of discomfort or muscle soreness is ok, but severe pain is something you should pay attention too.

It is also very important to perform the exercises correctly, paying attention to the movement of your body parts.

Not performing the exercises correctly can lead to muscle soreness, knee injuries and more health problems than you initially had.

Leading an active life is very important for overall health. Being physically active and exercising regularly is recommended for everyone.

However, certain types of exercises are not recommended for some persons, especially for those who suffer from chronic medical conditions or who have a couple of diagnosis at the same time, affecting the life quality at a certain level.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis should pay more attention when exercising compared to those who don’t suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.

As this is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the joints, patients diagnosed with this condition often tend to lead a sedentary life.

However, you should know that regular physical exercise is important for minimizing the pain and strengthening the muscles and bones at the same time.

In this case, low impact exercises are the best. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and those who have knee pain should not perform jump squats for example, but other types of knee strengthening exercises can be safe.

Knee strengthening exercises are important for overall health, especially for the health of the lower extremities.

The stronger and flexible the muscles are, the more stability your ankle, knee and hip joints will have. Proper stability is necessary for your body’s mobility and flexibility.

Athletes and those who engage in various sports by having strong and well – shaped legs can prevent muscle strains and injuries.

There are many exercises you can do to keep the knee muscles strong. Some exercises are focused on working a certain group of muscles, while there are some other exercises that are focused on working two or three muscles at the same time.

The most important thing is to perform these exercises correctly.