Knee Problems When Walking Uphill

8 Leg Exercises and Stretches for Knee Pain Walking Uphill

If knee pain is derailing your walking workouts, or your knee gives way when walking, there are a few ways you can stretch and strengthen the muscles in your legs and help prevent knee pain.

1. Biking

Riding a bike is an excellent way to condition your knees and the supporting muscles, particularly your quadriceps and hamstrings.

If you take a break from walking because of knee pain, try biking for two to three months before you return to the trails. Ride at least 20 minutes a day, three to five days a week, to condition your legs and prevent conditions like PFPS.

2. Leg Extensions

Leg extensions target the quadricep muscles on the front of your thighs. You can perform this exercise using a leg extension machine or sitting in a chair. When you’re ready, add resistance by using the settings on the leg extension machine or, if you’re in a chair, by wearing ankle weights.

How to Do It

1. Sit at a leg extension machine, bend your knees, and place your ankles under the roller pads.
2. Grasp the handles or the sides of the seat to hold your torso immobile.
3. Press your shins against the pads, and lift your legs so they’re horizontal.
4. Squeeze your quadriceps at the top of the movement, then return to the starting position.
5. Perform one to three sets of 10 reps.

3. Glute Bridges

Glute bridges help strengthen your gluteal muscles along your backside. Building these muscles helps take the load off your knees and strengthens your core for power movements like walking and running.

How to Do It

1. Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Your feet should be close enough to your hips that if you reach one hand at a time toward each heel, you can just touch it with your fingertips. Relax your arms alongside your body. Think of your shoulders as glued to the floor to help keep your spine neutral.
2. Squeeze your glutes and core muscles, then press your heels into the floor, pushing your hips up toward the ceiling until you form a straight line with your knees, hips, and chest. Resist the urge to arch your lower back as you raise your hips.
3. Hold this position for a few seconds with your glutes engaged.
4. Slowly lower your hips back down to the floor, returning to the starting position for a second before lifting up again.
5. Perform one to three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

4. Banded Clamshells

Banded clamshells can help strengthen your hip abductors (which help move your legs to the side for movements like getting out of bed) and external rotators (which rotate the femur in the hip joint).

How to Do It

1. Slide your legs through a resistance band and bring it just above your knees.
2. Lie on one side, resting your head on your bottom arm so that your neck is in a neutral position.
3. Bend your knees to 90 degrees. Keep your hips and knees evenly stacked on top of each other.
4. Engage your abs and slowly lift the top knee upward as high as you can without rotating your hips backward. Keep your feet together, opening your knees like a clamshell. Resist the urge to make the movement easier by pushing your feet together.
5. Slowly lower your top knee to return to the starting position.
6. Complete 10 to 15 reps, then switch sides. Perform two to three sets on each side.

5. Wall Sits

Wall sits work your quadriceps in an isometric contraction, improving muscular endurance that will benefit your knees on long walks. Each time you practice wall sits, try to hold the position longer than the previous time, until you’re able to maintain the position for five minutes.

How to Do It

1. Lean your back against a wall, with your heels two to three feet away from the wall.
2. Slowly slide your back down the wall until your knees reach a 90-degree bend.
3. Adjust your feet so that your ankles are directly below your knees.
4. Hold this position for 10 to 60 seconds, then relax.
5. Repeat five times.

6. Hamstring Stretch

Keeping your hamstrings flexible can help keep your knees healthy and help prevent pain.

How to Do It

1. Sit at the edge of a chair, with your left leg bent and your right leg extended with your heel on the floor and your toes pointing up. Take a deep inhale.
2. As you exhale, keep your back straight and slowly bend forward at the waist until you feel a stretch in the back of your right leg.
3. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then repeat the stretch with your left leg.
4. Repeat the stretch twice on each leg.

7. Calf Stretch

Stretch your calves on a daily basis to prevent any unnecessary tightness that may lead to knee pain.

How to Do It

1. Stand facing a wall and place your hands flat against the wall.
2. Step backward with your left leg and forward with your right.
3. Keeping your left knee straight, bend your right knee and lean into the wall until you feel a stretch in your left calf muscle.
4. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then repeat the stretch with your right leg.
5. Complete this stretch twice with each leg.

8. IT Band Stretch

If you get knee or IT band pain walking downhill, try this stretch. Prior to exercising, hold it for only a short time. After exercising, hold this stretch for 30 to 60 seconds on each side.

How to Do It

1. Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Cross your right leg over your left leg, then clasp your hands around your right knee.
3. Gently pull your knee toward your left shoulder until you feel a stretch.
4. Hold for 30 seconds, then lower your foot to the floor.
5. Perform the stretch with your left leg.
6. Repeat the stretch twice with each leg.