Knee Strengthening Exercise with Pilates

Some of the best ways I have found to do knee strengthening exercise is using the spring tension on the Pilates equipment.

Pilates equipment utilizes spring tension that is gentle on the joints and low impact, which is especially good for knee injury exercise.

I know, because I have had 3 different knee injuries myself and the Pilates equipment has done wonders for strengthening the muscles surrounding my knees.

I work with people every day who have arthritis in the knees, or have had replacements who need the stretch and strength work that the Pilates exercise equipment offers.

Check out some of my favorite knee injury exercise and for sore joints here.

One of the best ways to do exercise to strengthen knee joint muscles is on the Pilates Reformer:

Footwork on the Pilates Reformer:

When doing your leg exercises on the Pilates Reformer have the feeling that as you lengthen away on the carriage extending your legs, you feel your thighs lift off the kneecaps.

This will keep the length in the quadriceps pulling and strengthening the knee cap at the same time.

Working the feet in different positions on the reformer helps to recalibrate the length tension imbalances in the legs, specifically it works the weak muscles and stretches the tight ones helping to re-balance the musculature of the legs.

Find more ways to use the Pilates Reformer to do strengthening exercise for the knees and legs on my videos from this page.

Knee Strengthening Exercise on the Pilates Chair

Doing exercise to strengthen knee joints done on the Pilates chair has helped me really strengthen the muscles after my knee surgery.

Specifically the Pilates Chair offers wonderful gait training as you sit and balance your pelvis while moving the legs as shown here.

Check out my Pilates Chair video here to find out how to use this piece of equipment for your legs and whole body.

It helps to stretch and strengthen the knee joint muscles wonderfully and assist people who have had knee replacement surgery or others in regaining a correct posture and gait in the lower body.

Footwork on the heels, toes, turned out, and arch of the foot work and feel great to strengthen all aspects of the legs.

Wall Slides

And...

If you don't have equipment available the Wall Slide or Squat is a great way to target the muscles that surround and support the knee joint.

Leaning into a wall with your shoulders and bottom walk out about 2 feet from the wall so as you slide your heels stay right under your knees.

Slide down the wall to a 90 degree angle if you are able, hold, and then keeping your bottom and shoulders against the wall slide back up to a stand.

Repeat this for 10 reps or to fatigue, more as you progress.

Tips: Make sure you don't let your bottom pop off the wall as you slide back up or you will stress the knees.

Find more ways to do leg, hip, and knee strengthening exercise by going here.

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