Are Your Knees as STRONG as They Should Be?
Just ONE exercise to build strong, stable knees
Did you know that knee replacements are more common than hip replacements?
Not only that, but women account for the majority of knee replacement surgeries! 😳
Needing a new knee joint can be the result of a myriad of issues—but lacking strength and stability in your knees is usually where it begins.
Weak, unstable knees experience far more wear and tear in the joint, often leading to irreversible osteoarthritis and ligament damage…
Which, of course, severely impacts your everyday life.
That’s why building strong, stable knees RIGHT NOW is one of the smartest investments you can make in your future mobility and independence.
✨ Even if you already have weak, painful and arthritic knees, it’s NEVER too late to make them stronger.
Here’s where I want you to start…
JUST ONE THING
Strong knees are great—but STRONG and STABLE (not wobbly) knees are even better!
Your JUST ONE THING to Build Stronger Knees
Master the Step-Up
Step-ups are one of my FAVORITE exercises for building knee strength and stability because they mimic something you do every day…
👉 climbing stairs!
As you step up and down, your knee learns how to push you up and lower your body down without wobbling, helping you avoid unnecessary strain on the joint.
You’ll be strengthening your:
✔️ quads
✔️ glutes
✔️ hamstrings
✔️ inner/outer thigh muscles that help keep your knees stable
✔️ and even the tendons around your knee joint.
For this knee strengthening exercise, it’s not about how HIGH you step.
It’s about how WELL you control the movement—both on the way up and on the way down!
Ready to see this in action? Follow along with my video below to make sure you have the proper technique.
Step-Ups for Stronger Knees
- Keep knees in line with your foot. Don’t allow your knee to cave inward.
- Try to keep your hips level instead of letting one side dip down as you move.
- SLOW down if you find yourself using momentum
Extra Tip: Start with a LOW step (like the first step of your staircase) and work on perfecting your technique at that height. Then, try the second or third step up on the stairs when you’re ready for more of a challenge.
Did You Know...
- Don’t rush the way DOWN! The lowering (eccentric) phase builds a lot of strength, too. Move slowly and with CONTROL to challenge your muscles.
- Add resistance when you’re ready to level up. Hold dumbbells at your sides, or hold one in the hand opposite of your working leg for an extra core-stability challenge.
- Sideways step-ups are also great! These lateral step-ups challenge your hip and knee stabilizers in a different direction, helping build well-rounded strength and control.
Until next week... Be strong💪
