5 Best Knee Exercises for Runners

For runners, it's important to pay extra attention to the knees. They need to ensure that they don’t run into overuse injuries or pain that may keep them away from training and races.

Fortunately, regular knee exercises can help strengthen the knees and the muscles surrounding the knee joints. Certain knee moves can reduce pressure on the knees, reducing existing knee pain and preventing future problems. Moreover, exercise can also reduce the chances of injury and improve knee stability, which can boost overall running performance.

Knee Exercises for Runners

The best knee exercises for runners are ones that help open the hamstrings and hips, allowing them to move and function properly, thereby reducing stress on the knees.

The following five knee exercises can work the entire muscles surrounding the knee, making you stronger and faster as a runner. Let's get started:

1) Step-up with Knee Drive

Step-ups with knee drive are one of the best knee exercises you can do to make your glutes, hamstrings, and quads strong. To perform this move, you’ll need a plyo box, step, or dumbbells (optional).

Here’s how to perform a step-up with knee drive:

Stand tall facing the box, and position your feet at a hip distance. Hold a dumbbell in each hand on your side.
Step up onto the box with your left leg, and drive your right knee up to 90 degrees.
Bring your right foot back to the ground, and step down with your left foot.
Repeat a few times, and switch legs.

2) Clamshell with Resistance Band

Clamshells are great knee exercises that work on the glutes and help stabilize the pelvis. It can also be done as a hip-strengthening exercise.

Here’s how to perform a clamshell with resistance band:

Loop a resistance band above your knees, and lie on your left side with your knees stacked on each other and bent at 45 degrees.
Use your left elbow to lift yourself, and engage your core to lift your right knee as high as you can while keeping both feet together, hip stable, and left leg on the floor.
When your right knee reaches its peak high, hold the position for a few seconds, and slowly lower it back to the starting position.
Repeat, and switch sides.

3) Lateral Lunge with Dumbbell

Lateral lunges work the hamstrings, quads, adductors, and abductors, all of which are important muscles for better running mechanics. Strengthening these muscles can take stress off your knees.

Here’s how to perform lateral lunges with dumbbell:

Stand straight, and keep your feet together. Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Bending your elbows, bring them towards your chest, and simultaneously lift your left foot off the floor. Take a step toward your left side.
As you do that, bend your left knee, and sit back.
Push off your left foot, and return to the starting position.
Switch legs, and repeat.

4) Single Leg Deadlift

A single leg deadlift is one of the classic knee exercises that primarily works the glutes, core, and hamstrings, and also challenges stability. To perform this exercise, you’ll need a kettlebell or dumbbell.

Here’s how to perform a single leg deadlift:

Stand upright with your right foot slightly in front of your left and knees bent with a dumbbell in each hand.
Keeping a slight bent in your right knee, slowly lean forward till your torso gets parallel to the floor.
Extend your left leg straight behind you, and lower the dumbbell towards the floor.
Engage your core muscles to bring yourself up to the starting position.
Switch your legs, and repeat a few times.

5) Lateral Band Walk with Resistance Band

Lateral band walks are one of the most effective knee exercises that help stabilize the knee joints. This exercise primarily works the glutes muscles.

Here’s how to perform a lateral band walk:

Start the exercise in a squat position with a resistance band looped above your ankles.
Lower down into a squat, and take a few steps towards your left while ensuring that your knees do not collapse.
Take several steps back to the starting position, and repeat on both sides.

Takeaway

Performing the aforementioned knee exercises regularly can help ease knee pain, improve flexibility and range of motion, and also reduce chances of future injury.

However, if you have existing knee pain or injuries or have had recent knee surgery, it's best to consult your physical therapist before attempting these exercises. Your doctor can help you determine which exercises are safe for you to do.