When exercising with arthritis in your knees, you want to perform low-impact exercises. You also want to strengthen your leg muscles equally to take the stress off your knees. The elliptical machine is an excellent machine to use for your cardio training with minimal impact on your knees. 3- Position Leg presses*, and hamstring curls help with strengthening and toning the leg muscles. Tube walks are great for toning as well as increasing flexibility. The rebounder may not be a good choice for everyone.
*Perform leg presses as follows: 1st set with toes straight ahead for the number of reps per set for your goals; 2nd set with toes turned out for the number of reps per set for your goals; 3rd set with toes turned in for the number of reps per set for your goals.
By performing the leg presses in this fashion, you strengthen the muscles surrounding your knees equally.
The rebounder is a small trampoline that was designed to be utilized as a low impact piece of exercise equipment. For people with moderate to severe arthritis of the knee the rebounder can allow you to work out while minimizing the impact to the knee and decreasing symptoms and pain from working out. It’s important, however, to continue to engage in weight bearing or load bearing activities such as walking and weight training to ensure proper bone health and to decrease your risk of developing osteoporosis.
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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.