Knee Pain Exercises

If you have knee pain, whether it's from an injury, osteoarthritis or other condition, you should see your doctor to make sure it's okay to try this or any other exercise. If you've gotten clearance for exercise and you're dealing with knee pain, one proven approach is to strength the muscles that support your knees - the quads, hamstrings, inner and outer thigh muscles. This push step is a great way to warm up and strengthen the quads, but skip it if you feel any pain in the knees.

1. Stand with your left side to a step, platform or the bottom step of a staircase.
2. Place the left foot on the step and push up a few inches on the left leg.
3. Your right foot should come off the floor just a few inches and you should feel the front of your thigh engage. It's almost like stepping up halfway instead of stepping all the way up.
4. Come back down and repeat the push step, moving at a faster pace as you become more comfortable with the movement.
5. Repeat for 30-60 seconds on the left leg and switch to the right for 1-3 sets.