What are 3 exercises to strengthen your knee?
- Knee bends – 3 sets of 10 repetitions (reps) ...
- Thigh contraction – 3 sets of 15 seconds with each leg. ...
- Straight leg raises – 3 sets of 10 reps with each leg. ...
- Hamstring stretch with thigh contraction – 3 sets of 15 seconds with each leg. ...
- ITB (iliotibial band) – 3 sets of 15 seconds with each leg.
“The leg press machine is very bad mechanically for your body, because it does not allow your muscles/joints to perform in a functional manner and puts a tremendous amount of stress on your knees and lower back,” says Josh Stolz, a Tier 4 trainer at Equinox in New York City.
A recumbent cross trainer is one of the best exercise machines for people with bad knees because it offers low-impact workouts that put no stress on your knees. The reclined seat also relieves stress on your back and joints.
The fact that the leg press causes less muscle activation and puts less stress on the knees than the squat, for instance, means that the machine could help you rebuild strength after injury.
- Wall or Chair Squats. If your knees are weak, stand in front of a chair or against a wall while you do squats so that you don't lose your balance. ...
- Full Chair Sits-to-Stands. ...
- Lunges. ...
- Straight Leg Lifts. ...
- Side Leg Raises. ...
- Short-Arcs. ...
- Step-ups or Knee Marching. ...
- Calf and Abductor Raises.
The Best Exercises for Bad Knees. The most effective way to alleviate pain in your knee joints is simply to get moving, Woods says. “Walking, water aerobics, cycling, swimming, yoga, and strength training all help improve the symptoms associated with arthritic knee pain and knee pain in general.”
Weight training exercises are also beneficial for injury prevention. The American College of Sports Medicine reports three injury-reduction benefits of resistance training with equipment such as the leg press. You improve the density of your bones which reduces stress fractures to the knees.
The worst exercises for knee joints for people with bad knees include full-arc knee extension including using the machine at the gym, full-deep lunges, deep squats, and Hurdler's stretches, because these exercises place excessive strain on the knee joints and can increase pain and cause injury.
Leg press cons
There's a risk of rounding your back if you try to press too much weight. You risk injuring your knees if you try to press too much weight or lock your knees when extending your legs.
- Knee Extension. Knee pain is not always but often times stemmed from weak muscles which surround and support the knee. ...
- Knee Curl Machine. These machines come in more variety, some better than others. ...
- Treadmill. ...
- Elliptical. ...
- Recumbent Bike. ...
- Leg Press.
How can I rebuild my knees?
Cartilage Regeneration Options
MACI is a surgical procedure that uses cartilage-forming cells from your body to restore damaged cartilage in the knees. It involves a biopsy to harvest chondrocytes (cartilage-forming cells), which are allowed to multiply in a lab, and surgery to implant them into the damaged area.
- Half squat. ...
- Calf raises. ...
- Hamstring curl. ...
- Leg extensions. ...
- Straight leg raises. ...
- Side leg raises. ...
- Prone leg raises.

Walking is a low-impact activity that doesn't put too much stress on your knees and can help strengthen the muscles in that area. Start slow and try to work up to a half-hour walk three to five times a week.
People with knee osteoarthritis may reduce their risk of knee pain by walking more, according to a study published online June 8, 2022, by Arthritis & Rheumatology.