Your knees are hard-working shock absorbers. If your shock absorbers (knees) remain healthy, they will sustain a healthy upper body. Many people suffer from knee pain due to arthritis, osteoarthritis, or discomfort from hectic life. Say goodbye to these knee issues that make you uncomfortable.
Yoga helps to keep knees healthy and strong. It lengthens and strengthens the surrounding thigh and calf muscles, helping to ease the pressure on the knees. Injuries and knee problems are often due to mechanical issues with the kneecap, which then impacts the ligaments and the joints. Here are some knee pain exercises and Sukshma Vyayama to develop the inner, outer, upper and lower muscles equally.
Exercise 1: Knee flexion
- Stand at the back of a chair and hold its headrest
- Lift one leg and bend it from the knee
- Pull your toes towards your leg
- Place it on the floor
- Lift another leg and flex the other knee backward
- Repeat it five times
- Hold each count for five seconds.
- Practice it twice a day
Exercise 2: Knee extension
- Sit straight on the chair
- Extend your knee to the front
- Pull your toes towards your leg
- Hold for five seconds
- Repeat with the other leg
- Repeat it five times
- Practice it twice a day
Exercise 3: Thigh contraction
- Sit straight on the floor
- Place a rolled towel beneath your knees
- Contract your thighs, pushing your knees down toward the floor
- Place your palms behind your hips on the floor. Fingers pointing backward. Palms help to balance the body when you push your knees downward
- Repeat it five times
- Hold each count for five seconds.
- Practice it twice a day
Exercise 4: Calf-raise and push down
- Climb on a staircase holding its railing
- Place all your foot toes on the stair. The rest of the foot palm is in the air
- Lift your heels and push your toes on the stair
- Next, push your heels down in the air
- Repeat it five times
- Hold each count for five seconds.
- Practice it twice a day
Exercise 5
- Standing up, lift one leg
- Bend and straighten up from the knee
- Tighten the buttocks and leg and then bend forward from the waist slowly
- Keeping your posture as straight as possible, stretch the toe. Stay in this position for five seconds while breathing normally
- Inhale while raising and exhale while lowering the leg
- Breathing out, gently come back to position one
- Repeat five times for each leg
- Practice it twice a day
Sukshma Vyayama 1 Janu Naman
- Sit straight with your legs extended forward on the floor
- Inhale and clasp your fingers supporting under your right thigh
- Exhale to bend one knee
- Straighten the leg while inhaling
- Don’t let the heel and toes touch the floor while practicing it
- Repeat five times for each leg
- Practice it twice a day
Sukshma Vyayama 2 Dwijanu Naman
- Sit straight with your legs extended forward on the floor
- Place both palms flat on the floor at the side of the hips. It will balance your posture
- Bend both knees together and place the feet in front of the hips
- Inhale to straighten the legs so that the feet are a little above the floor with the toes pointed outward
- Hold this position for five seconds
- Keep your back straight during the practice
- Exhale and bend the knees. Bring the legs to the starting position
- Practice five rounds, maintaining the balance in posture
- Practice it twice a day
Sukshma Vyayama 3 Janufalak Akarshan
- Sit straight with your legs extended forward on the floor
- Place your palms flat on the floor behind your hips and fingers pointed toward the hips
- Gently contract the muscles surrounding one kneecap while inhaling. Pull the kneecap toward your thigh
- Hold the contraction for five seconds
- Exhale and release the kneecap contraction
- Repeat five times for both knees
- Then you can practice with both knees together
- Practice it twice a day
Sri Sri Yoga Level 1 is a 4-day yoga beginner program. Learn an authentic, time-tested yoga sequence in just eight hours. It tones your muscles, improves flexibility, boosts digestion and enhances energy levels.
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Yoga for knee strength
If you are not suffering from knee pain and wish to maintain your knee strength, practice these asanas: Standing forward bend or Uttanasana, Warrior II, III or Veerbhadrasana, Wide-angle seated forward bend or Upavistha Konasana, Crescent moon pose or Anjaneyasana, Triangle pose or Trikonasana and Bridge pose or Setubandhasana.
Final Note
These asanas and exercises increase the strength and flexibility of the knees after an injury. They guard against future injuries or problems. These are good for increasing blood flow and nourishment, which it sends to the surrounding joints and ligaments.
Based on inputs by Mayur Karthik, Faculty, Sri Sri Yoga
Written by: Pratibha Sharma
Caution: It is vital to practice these asanas with caution. If you have an existing knee ailment or other joint problems, you should do yoga asanas and other knee exercises cautiously without over-exerting yourself.
