Exercises for Knee Problems

By Darin McGilvra

Not much can ruin a good round of golf more than an injury, especially to the knee, which means limping around the golf course and causing you to be off-balance while attempting to hit the ball. Here are a few exercises you can do to help with a knee problem and prevent further injury. When doing strengthening exercises, it is important not to do the same muscle groups on consecutive days to give them enough time to recover and to avoid injury. Also, slowly build up strength. Listen to your body to know when you have reached your limit.

Low-Impact Aerobic Exercises

There are plenty of aerobic exercises that will help you lose weight or stay in shape to take strain off the knee. These include walking, swimming, riding a bike (stationary or otherwise) or using an elliptical trainer. Many of these are also a good way to warm up by doing it for about five minutes before attempting to do any strength training to avoid injury.

Stretching

It is important to stretch before doing any strengthening exercise and after warming up. You will want to focus on stretching the calf muscles, the hamstrings and the quadriceps. Hold the stretches for 30 to 60 seconds and do not bounce.

Quadriceps Strengthening

Because the quadriceps control the straightening of the knee, it is important to keep them strong to support the knee. Some exercises you can do for this include leg lifts (one leg at a time) and squats. Do these 10 times (hold the leg lift for three seconds). As you build strength you can add more sets of 10.

Hamstring Strengthening Curls

Hamstrings control the bending of the knee, so it is also important to keep the hamstrings strong to support the knee. One way is to do curls. While lying on your stomach, pull your foot toward your buttocks while your leg is being resisted by the other one. Hold this for 10 seconds before resting for three. This can also be done in sets of 10.

Balancing Knee Exercise

A balancing knee exercise also will help with stability in the knee. Balance on each leg for one minute. Do not lean to one side. You may want to hold onto a chair or a sturdy table to keep your balance. As your balance improves, you can use just one hand, then one finger, and finally don't hold onto anything.

About the Author

Darin McGilvra is a writer in Southern California. He has been a writer since 1997. He worked as a sports writer and copy editor for newspapers for more than 12 years before becoming a freelance writer. His articles have appeared recently in "The Californian" newspaper in Temecula, Calif. McGilvra holds a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics education from Northwest Nazarene College.