10 Yoga Practices To Strengthen Your Knees and Improved Knee Pain

 

1. Bridge Pose With Elevated Heels (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

This yoga pose stretches your hips, increases strength in your back, glutes, and hamstrings, and lengthens your spine and neck while opening your chest.
 
Procedure

• Place your back on the floor, keeping your knees bent and directed upward.
• Extend your arms along the floor and keep them flat.
• Ground your feet and arms firmly onto the floor.
• On an exhale, lift your bottom and hips toward the ceiling.
• Interlace your fingers as you squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Keep your heels lifted, balancing on the balls of your feet.
• Hold for three to five breaths.

 

2. Butterfly or Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

This yoga pose for knees stretches your groin muscles and inner thighs surrounding the knee joint.
 
Procedure 

• Sit on your mat with your legs stretched out directly in front of you.
• You may wish to elevate your hips by sitting on a yoga mat or placing yoga blocks under each knee for added support.
• Keep your spine straight as you bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together.
• Move your thighs up and down like wings, or keep your knees still.

 

3. The Child Pose (Balasana)

The Child’s pose is a resting pose that helps to reduce knee pain.
 
Procedure

• Begin on all fours and bring your feet together with your toes untucked.
• Rest your stomach in between your thighs with your bottom and your hips sitting on your heels.
• Release your forehead or chin on the mat.
• Lengthen your arms by your sides with your palms facing up or down.
• You can place folded blankets behind your knees or on your heels.
• Hold for three to five breaths. 

 

4. Easy Pose (Sukhasana)

It introduces your body to breath awareness while warming up your knees and ankles for future poses.
 
Procedure 

• Cross your legs and ease one in front of the other.
• You can sit on a folded yoga blanket or place yoga blocks underneath your knees for extra support.
• Lengthen your spine with each inhale and relax your body with each exhale.
• Begin with three to five breaths in this pose and gradually increase your time as your body becomes more flexible.

 

5. Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

 
 Extended Side Angle increases flexibility and strength in the legs, knee joints and ankles, groin, and abdominal muscles.
 
Procedure

• Stand with your feet between three to four feet apart.
• Start to point your right foot forward and your left foot. 
• Check carefully that the arch of your right foot is in line with your left heel.
• Gently ease into bending your left knee to a right angle.
• Reach your top arm overhead and your bottom forearm on your left thigh to bring your left hand to a block or beside your front ankle.
• Reach and lengthen your right arm over your head, opening your chest, and take your gaze toward your right arm.
• With an active and open chest and energy from your left elbow, gently press the into your left knee.
• Stay for three to five breaths and then repeat on the other side.

 

6. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

 
It is considered the foundation of all standing poses. It improves your posture and body awareness, strengthens your legs, and establishes good alignment, which can help prevent future knee injuries while also helping to manage existing strains.
 
Procedure

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Move your toes to spread them wide.
• Ground yourself firmly into the corners of your feet to evenly distribute the weight of your body.
• As you press into your feet, engage your calf and thigh muscles and internally rotate your inner thighs to widen your sit bones.
• Tuck your tailbone in to engage your glutes and tighten your ab muscles.
• Keep your shoulders away from your ears, stacked and aligned over your hips and ankles.
• With facial and neck muscles relaxed, slightly lift your chin as you pull it back gently to make it parallel with the floor.
• Lengthen your arms by your sides with your elbows soft and spread your fingers apart. 

 

7. Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

Balances are excellent yoga poses for the knees because they build the muscles surrounding the knee joints.
For individuals experiencing inflammation or strains, using a block for support or practicing against a wall is helpful.
 
Procedure 

• Stand with your back to a wall.
• Rotate your left foot and shift your weight as you’re balancing on your left leg.
• Lean your torso forward and place a block under your left hand a few inches in front of your left foot.
• Rotate the right side of your body upward to align your back against the wall
• Lift your right leg roughly parallel to the floor.
• Hold for three to five breaths and then repeat on the opposite side.

 

8. Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

Triangle Pose stretches the muscles around the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, chest, and spine.
 
Procedure 

• Step your feet out in a wide stance with your left foot parallel to the back of your mat and your right foot at a 90-degree angle.
• Lean your torso forward and reach your right arm straight down to a yoga block or the floor to rotate upward with the left side of your body.
• Align your arms in a straight line, keeping your core engaged and your spine lengthened.
• Hold for three to five breaths and then repeat on the other side.

9. Wall Sit or Supported Chair Pose

This pose strengthens the quadriceps, hamstrings, and abductors as it increases blood flow to the lower part of the body, which helps to bring fluidity to your movement.
 
Chair Pose (Utkatasana) is practiced away from a wall and works excellent yoga pose for knees to develop strength and stability.
 
Procedure 

• Start by placing your feet hip-distance apart with your back to a wall.
• Lean your entire back against the wall and begin to slide down until your knees and ankles are parallel to each other.
• For additional support, use your hands, placing them against the wall as you start to bend your knees.
• Place your hands on your thighs or reach your arms toward the ceiling.
• Hold for three to five breaths, then ease yourself back.
• Repeat several times, focusing on your breath.

 

10. Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Ardha Matsyendrasana comes in several other names, including Half Lord of the Fishes Pose and Seated Twist Pose. It stretches your lower back and opens up your hip. It can be great for reducing pressure on the sciatic nerve and relieving symptoms of knee pain.
 
Procedure

1. Sit on your mat with both legs straight in front of you.
2. Bend your right knee while crossing it over your left knee to hinge on your thighs.
3. Fold your left knee under your right knee.
4. Cross your left arm over your right knee. Your hands can either be on the floor, on your left foot’s big toe, or at the side of your right butt cheek. 
5. Use this arm to pull your right knee close to your body to stretch your right glute while opening the left hip.
6. Increase the stretch by facing and twisting more to the right but don’t overdo it.
7. Hold this for ten breaths and repeat on the opposite side.