Exercise Without Knee Pain

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 You may be wondering how to exercise with bad knees to lose weight. Whether you have arthritis, a knee injury, or another cause of knee pain, there are still plenty of exercises you can do to lose weight while also improving knee pain and overall fitness.

Practicing a combination of cardio and weight-bearing exercises is essential for relieving knee pain. The best exercises for knee pain and weight loss include stretching, strength training, and low-impact cardio workouts like cycling and swimming.

This article takes a closer look at how to exercise with bad knees to lose weight and relieve knee pain. It covers the benefits of exercise for arthritis, injury rehabilitation, and other causes of knee pain, and includes tips for exercising safely with bad knees.

Exercises for Knee Pain: Legs walking (walking), bicycle (cycling), a person sitting on a chair raising a leg (strength training), bathing suits/flippers/towel (water exercises), hand reaching towards toes (stretching)

Verywell / Laura Porte

Benefits of Exercise for Bad Knees

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.

At least two days per week should involve moderate- to high-intensity strength training, such as resistance or weights, the AHA says.

You need both cardio exercise and strength training to relieve knee pain, lose weight, and maintain a healthy fitness level. Here's why they're important:

Relieves Knee Pain

It may seem counterintuitive to exercise your knees when they are in pain. However, practicing aerobic (cardio) and weight-bearing exercises is essential for relieving knee pain and preventing it in the future.

According to research:

  • Cardio exercises prevent muscle atrophy (muscle wasting), heal damaged cartilage, enhance immunity, and reduce pain.
  • Weight-bearing exercises provide pain relief, enhance psychological well-being, maintain cartilage, and increase the shock-absorbing capabilities of the lower extremities while walking.

A 2018 study shows that physical activity for arthritic knee pain often results in better outcomes than medications, injections, and surgery. Another benefit is that exercise therapy doesn't pose the risk of serious harm like other treatments, such as pain medications and surgery.

Improves Fitness

Physical fitness is more than just the strength of your muscles. It involves the fitness of your heart, lungs, and muscles, both individually, and as an integrated unit that works together to keep you healthy.

In addition to helping you stay healthy, energetic, and independent as you age, regular exercise:

  • Improves circulation
  • Increases endurance
  • Enhances lung fitness
  • Increases muscle and bone strength
  • Boosts immune function
  • Reduces the risk of falls
  • Improves sleep quality
  • Maintains steady digestion
  • Maintains healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels
  • Prevents diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal disorders, cancers, and innumerable other diseases

Physical activity falls into four basic categories: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility training, each of which is vital for overall fitness.

Weight Loss

A healthy diet and regular exercise are two of the most important elements of an effective weight loss strategy.

Excessive abdominal weight increases the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, certain cancers, and numerous other diseases.8 Furthermore, reducing the weight load on your knees can ease pain and help your knees heal.

It can take significant exercise to lose weight, and you may not notice the difference right away. But, even when it does not seem like you are losing weight, exercise still increases muscle mass, reduces fat, and improves cardiovascular fitness.

Best Exercises for Bad Knees

Your personal goals will determine the types of exercises you choose. For example, if you have knee pain but your primary goal is to lose weight, your workout routine may look different compared to someone whose primary goal is to relieve knee pain.

Regardless, your weekly routine should include both cardio and weight-bearing exercises to improve your fitness and overall health.

Exercises to Lose Weight and Improve Fitness

Most forms of aerobic exercise are effective for weight loss when done with moderate intensity. However, some high-impact exercises, like long-distance jogging or running up stairs, will be too stressful on bad knees, no matter how lightly you do them.

If you have bad knees but want to lose weight, choose low-impact exercises that you can do with moderate aerobic intensity. These exercises will still burn fat and get your heart pumping without stressing your knees.

The following workouts are great choices:

Walking lubricates the joints, burns calories, and aids in weight loss. Walking also increases blood flow to tight muscles and helps strengthen the muscles surrounding your knee. Longer, slower walks are more knee-pain friendly.10

Cycling is a safe, overall workout for people with knee pain. Cycling provides aerobic and strengthening benefits. It promotes range of motion and targets the quadriceps muscles. The peddling strengthens the hamstrings and glutes as well.11

Water exercises, including swimming, jogging in water, and water aerobics, are go-to exercises that can help strengthen knee muscles. The buoyancy of the water allows you to exercise without putting pressure on your joints. A 2016 study showed that regular swimming exercise reduced joint pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis and improved muscle strength and functional capacity in middle-aged and older adults.12

Exercises to Relieve Knee Pain

The muscles above, below, and around your knee have a direct influence on knee pain. If the muscles are too weak—or too tight—they won't be able to support your knee properly.

Some muscles are particularly important, like the hip muscles, hamstrings, and quadriceps—three muscle groups that provide crucial knee support.13

If your primary goal is to relieve knee pain, opt for a combination of low-impact aerobic exercises and strength training. Workouts to consider include:

Strength training is critical for improving knee function.4 Weight machines—such as the seated knee extension—help strengthen the muscles. You can also use body weight in place of weight machines. Straight leg raises and squats or modified squats, are some good exercises for knees.

Stretches prevent the knee and leg muscles from becoming too tight, which can contribute to knee pain. Stretches that help the knee and surrounding muscles include knee quadriceps stretch and standing hamstring stretch.

Yoga and pilates are low-impact exercises that simultaneously stretch and strengthen the knee. They are proven beneficial for increasing overall knee strength without overextending the joints.14

Tai chi is an internal martial art commonly used to treat chronic pain disorders, including knee osteoarthritis. Studies show that Tai Chi effectively improves knee pain, physical function, mood, and overall quality of life. The practice involves slow, gentle movements, poses, meditation, and controlled breathing.15

Elliptical training provides a low-impact aerobic workout, thanks to the fluid, gliding motion of its pedals. Unlike running on treadmills, elliptical training won't stress your knees. And, since your feet stay in contact with the machine, elliptical training is ideal for people who enjoy running but are managing knee instability.16

Rowing machines are another low-impact exercise that provides all-in-one strength and resistance training. Stationary rowing strengthens the muscles that support your knees, particularly the quadriceps. Since rowing machines are low to the ground, they are also a safe option for people with balance problems.16

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