How to Strengthen Your Knees 

It’s important to keep your knees strong and healthy so that your mobility doesn’t deteriorate as you grow older. We often take the health of our knees for granted, not noticing there’s a problem until everyday activities like lifting boxes or walking downhill become painful. Take the following measures to strengthen your knees and ensure you’ll stay active for as long as possible.

Part 1 of 3: Understanding Knee Health

1.  Get to know basic knee anatomy. The knee is the largest joint in the body, and is made up of the lower end of the thigh bone (femur), the upper end of the shin bone (tibia), and the kneecap (patella). These bones are connected by ligaments and cartilage, including the meniscus, which cushions the area where the femur and tibia meet. 

 

1.   Be aware of common knee injuries. As one of the most heavily used joints in the body, the knee is subject to a range of injuries. The more you know, the better prepared you will be to avoid circumstances that lead to or exacerbate injuries.^[1]

• The iliotibial band, or IT band, is the area of thicker tissue that runs from the outside of the pelvis to the outside of the knee. The IT band helps to stabilize the knee during physical activity. It can become inflamed and painful when it is overused, leading to iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). Runners, hikers, and other active people often experience this injury.
• The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is commonly torn during activities like running, jumping, and landing from a jump. Other ligaments may be torn as well.
• The meniscus, which acts like a shock absorber to protect the knee joint from impact, can be easily torn during activities like twisting, pivoting, or decelerating

1. Understand how other parts of the leg affect the knees. The knees are supported by the other muscles in the legs, especially quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. Keeping these muscles strong is a crucial to having strong knees and preventing injury.