Stretching, Even If You Cannot Exercise
Stretching exercises which focus heavily on the quadriceps, hamstring, and calf muscles, take the extra pressure off from the kneecap and knees. A flexible and well-conditioned body is less likely to get overuse problems in the knees. Certain stretches which are helpful in protecting the knees include straight-leg lifts, hamstring curls, and step-ups. In addition to protecting the knees from injury, certain stretching moves that target building flexibility in the hips such as standing hip flexor and butterfly stretch using a resistance band help in alleviating knee pain. [2]
Some of the effective stretching moves that help in avoiding knee pain include the following:
- Step-ups:
Stand in front of stairs or small step stool and use one leg to lift your body onto the stairs. Then step your body backwards with the same leg. Do 10-15 of these stretches on each leg.
- Butterfly stretch:
Sit straight by pressing your feet closely, and then hold the heels of your feet together by gradually leaning your upper body upwards. Try to hold this stretch for 30 seconds.