Knee Class Exercises

The knee is an integral part of daily movement and balance. Having inadequate knee strength and flexibility can cause prolonged injuries that will make the simplest movements hard to perform. This is why knee exercises are so important, especially for those that exercise often since the knee will be used under more stress and for longer periods of time. The right knee class exercises will increase strength, flexibility, and balance. All knee exercises should be done after 5-10 minutes of light warm-up exercises to loosen the muscles.

Straight-Leg Lift

The straight-leg lift is an easy exercise that will help strengthen your knees, quadriceps, and gluteal muscles. You start by laying down on the floor on your back. Make sure your back is completely flat on the floor throughout the exercise to prevent any stress on your spine. Keep one leg straight and bend the other leg so your foot is flat on the floor. Next, lift your straight leg at least one foot off the floor without bending your knee and hold it in place for 5 seconds. Slowly let your leg down until it rests on the floor and repeat the exercise with your other leg. You want to repeat this exercise until you have done three repetitions with both legs.

Bent-Leg Raises

Bent-leg raises increase the strength of the quadriceps and stomach muscles, while helping knee balance. You'll start this exercise by sitting in a chair or using any piece of equipment you can sit on. Next, lift one leg up and keep the entire leg straight. Keep the leg in this position for at least 10 seconds. Let your leg down slowly after 10 seconds have gone by. Repeat this with your other leg and continue alternating legs until you have completed three repetitions with both legs.

Wall Sit

The wall sit is one of the more advance and difficult knee exercises to complete. First, you'll need to find an exercise ball. Place the exercise ball between a wall and your back and position the ball so it is resting on your lower back. Slowly bend your knees like your are going into a sitting position. The ball will roll up your back and provide the support you need as you move downwards. Stop moving downwards as soon as you are in a normal sitting position (i.e. your thighs are parallel to the floor). Hold this position for 10 seconds and then return to the standing position. Repeat this three times. This knee exercise strengthens the knee, abdominal muscles, gluteals, quadriceps, and hamstrings.

Single-Leg Dip

The single-leg dip is one of the best exercises for knee balance. For this exercise, you'll need to chairs or two stationery objects to use for balancing. Place the chairs at your sides and within easy reach. While holding the tops of the chairs, lift one leg up and slowly dip down by bending the leg that is on the floor. Hold your position for five seconds when you are halfway down to the floor and then slowly begin to rise. Repeat this exercise on each leg at least three times each.