Knee Relief Stretches
This is for you if you have chronic knee pain, knee ligament injuries, knee pain when going up and down stairs, trouble bending your knee, arthritis in the knee or pain under the knee cap. Click on each arrow to reveal pictures and instructions.
DISCLAIMER:
1. These stretches are not designed to be medical advice. First consult a medical professional to ensure you don’t have an issue that requires medical attention (ie. break, infection, tumor, tear or organ involvement.)
2. If any of the stretches cause pain, stop doing it and move on to the next one.
1. Do the stretches at least once daily until the pain is gone for a full 24 hours. For faster results, repeat the sequence as much as 10x/day in the order given. If any stretch causes discomfort, skip that stretch for now and reintroduce it later.
2. Once the tension, aches and pains are gone, use the daily warm-up exercises to stay feeling young and active.
If Standing, Do These - Takes 3 Mins
HOW: CIRCLE FOOT CLOCKWISE. THEN CIRCLE FOOT COUNTERCLOCKWISE. KEEP KNEE STILL SO MOVEMENT COMES FROM ANKLE. REPEAT ON OTHER LEG. THEN FLEX FOOT UP AND DOWN.
HOW: SQUEEZE BUTTOCKS TOGETHER USING BUTT MUSCLES, NOT THIGHS OR ABS. DO A SET WITH FEET STRAIGHT, THEN WITH FEET DUCK-TOED OUTWARD. THEN WITH FEET PIGEON-TOED INWARD. THEN WITH FEET IN LINE.
HOW: WITH A STRAIGHT LEG, FLEX YOUR FOOT AND TOES TOWARD YOU BELLY, USING THREE ANGLES TO ACTIVELY RELAX THE BACK OF YOUR LEG MUSCLES. FIRST, FOOT POINTS UPWARD. THEN FOOT POINTS OUTWARD 45 DEGREES. THEN POINT FOOT INWARD 45 DEGREES.
HOW: PRESS HEEL INTO THE GROUND USING THREE ANGLES TO ACTIVELY RELAX THE BACK OF LEG MUSCLES. FIRST, TOE POINTS UPWARD. THEN TOE POINTS OUTWARD 45 DEGREES. THEN POINT TOE INWARD 45 DEGREES.
HOW: FOCUS ON ROTATING YOUR KNEE INWARD AND OUTWARD, TO GET ROTATION THROUGH THE HIP.
KEEP BODY IN PERFECT STRAIGHT POSTURE. FOCUS ON RAISING KNEE AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE TO CHEST LEVEL. THEN RETURN KNEE TO REST. REPEAT WITH OPPOSITE KNEE.
If Sitting, Do These - Takes 3 Mins
HOW: CIRCLE FOOT CLOCKWISE. THEN CIRCLE FOOT COUNTERCLOCKWISE. KEEP KNEE STILL SO MOVEMENT COMES FROM ANKLE. REPEAT ON OTHER LEG. THEN FLEX FOOT UP AND DOWN.
HOW: SQUEEZE BUTTOCKS TOGETHER USING BUTT MUSCLES, NOT THIGHS OR ABS. DO A SET WITH FEET STRAIGHT, THEN WITH FEET DUCK-TOED OUTWARD. THEN WITH FEET PIGEON-TOED INWARD. THEN WITH FEET IN LINE.
HOW: WITH A STRAIGHT LEG, FLEX YOUR FOOT AND TOES TOWARD YOU BELLY, USING THREE ANGLES TO ACTIVELY RELAX THE BACK OF YOUR LEG MUSCLES. FIRST, FOOT POINTS UPWARD. THEN FOOT POINTS OUTWARD 45 DEGREES. THEN POINT FOOT INWARD 45 DEGREES.
HOW: PRESS HEEL INTO THE GROUND USING THREE ANGLES TO ACTIVELY RELAX THE BACK OF LEG MUSCLES. FIRST, TOE POINTS UPWARD. THEN TOE POINTS OUTWARD 45 DEGREES. THEN POINT TOE INWARD 45 DEGREES.
HOW: EVENLY SQUEEZE THE KNEES TOGETHER, THEN RELEASE. KEEP FEET PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND DON’T LET STOMACH OR UPPER BACK PARTICIPATE.
HOW: LIFT KNEES TOGETHER OFF THE FLOOR TO TAP THE TOES ON THE GROUND. *THIS IS NOT RAISING THE HEELS UP WHILE TOES REMAIN ON THE GROUND. ACTUALLY FOCUS ON USING YOUR MUSCLES TO LIFT YOUR KNEES UP A FEW INCHES.
If Lying Down, Do These - Takes 3 Mins
HOW: SIT AGAINST WALL WITH LEGS STRAIGHT OUT IN FRONT. FLEX FEET TOWARD BELLY BUTTON. HOLD POSITION.
HOW: CIRCLE FOOT CLOCKWISE. THEN CIRCLE FOOT COUNTERCLOCKWISE. KEEP KNEE STILL SO MOVEMENT COMES FROM ANKLE. REPEAT ON OTHER LEG. THEN FLEX FOOT UP AND DOWN.
HOW: SQUEEZE BUTTOCKS TOGETHER USING BUTT MUSCLES, NOT THIGHS OR ABS. DO A SET WITH FEET STRAIGHT, THEN WITH FEET DUCK-TOED OUTWARD. THEN WITH FEET PIGEON-TOED INWARD. THEN WITH FEET IN LINE.
HOW: WITH A STRAIGHT LEG, FLEX YOUR FOOT AND TOES TOWARD YOU BELLY, USING THREE ANGLES TO ACTIVELY RELAX THE BACK OF YOUR LEG MUSCLES. FIRST, FOOT POINTS UPWARD. THEN FOOT POINTS OUTWARD 45 DEGREES. THEN POINT FOOT INWARD 45 DEGREES.
HOW: PRESS HEEL INTO THE GROUND USING THREE ANGLES TO ACTIVELY RELAX THE BACK OF LEG MUSCLES. FIRST, TOE POINTS UPWARD. THEN TOE POINTS OUTWARD 45 DEGREES. THEN POINT TOE INWARD 45 DEGREES.
HOW: LIE ON YOUR BACK, KNEES BENT WITH A ROLLED TOWEL UNDER LOW BACK. ONE TOE IS TOUCHING THE GROUND. THE OTHER KNEE IS HALF RAISED TO YOUR CHEST. NOW RAISE THE HIGHER KNEE TO YOUR CHEST AS THE LOWER LEG RAISES TO THE HALFWAY POINT. THEN RETURN TO TOE-TAP POSITION AND REPEAT.
Add these whenever resting.
HOW: LIE ON YOUR BACK, WITH ROLLED TOWELS UNDER NECK AND LOWER BACK. ONE LEG BENT 90 DEGREES RESTING ON CHAIR OR PILLOWS. OTHER LEG IS STRAIGHT. BOTH FEET MUST POINT TO THE SKY. PROP FEET UP IF NEEDS BE. RELAX IN POSITION.
*STRETCH IS COMPLETE WHEN YOU CAN PRESS STRAIGHT LEG KNEE DOWNWARD AND FEEL CONTRACTION AT THE TOP OF YOUR THIGH RATHER THAN AT THE BOTTOM OF THIGH. THEN SWITCH LEGS.
HOW: LIE ON YOUR BACK, ONE LEG BENT 90 DEGREES RESTING ON CHAIR OR PILLOWS. OTHER LEG IS STRAIGHT. BOTH FEET MUST POINT TO THE SKY. PROP FEET UP IF NEEDED. FIRST ELEVATE FOOT OF STRAIGHT LEG. RELAX IN POSITION. THEN LOWER LEG 2 LEVELS, RESTING EACH LEVEL.
*STRETCH IS COMPLETE WHEN YOU CAN PRESS STRAIGHT LEG KNEE DOWNWARD AND FEEL CONTRACTION AT THE TOP OF YOUR THIGH RATHER THAN AT THE BOTTOM OF THIGH. THEN SWITCH LEGS.
