If strikes like lunges or field jumps aren’t best on your knees*, it may be powerful to search out appropriate alternate options to those conventional strikes. The excellent news is that there are nonetheless loads of methods to sculpt and form your backside half—with out the potential knee pressure.
Listed here are 10 low-impact, knee-friendly workouts to attempt:
Lateral Band Stroll
Targets: Interior and outer thighs, hips, glutes
To do it: Stand on a resistance band with toes hip-width aside, knees barely bent, holding onto handles evenly (relying in your band’s thickness, chances are you’ll have to cross it as proven for extra resistance).
Pull your abs in tight, and, protecting your knees barely bent, take a large step out to 1 aspect with one foot [B]. Step the alternative foot in, touring to the aspect and returning to begin place (keep away from letting toes come any nearer than hip-width aside). That’s one step. Take 20 steps, then repeat on the alternative aspect. Attempt as much as 3 units in complete.
Break up Stance Lifeless Carry
Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, again
To do it: Start in a break up stance with one leg ahead and the again heel lifted, knees barely bent, holding a dumbbell in every hand with palms dealing with thighs.
Hinge ahead from the hips, protecting your backbone impartial and abs drawn in tight, till your torso is sort of parallel to the ground. Return to the beginning whereas sustaining a impartial backbone. Attempt as much as 3 units of 15 reps on every leg.
Static Squat Sit
Targets: Thighs, glutes
To do it: Stand along with your toes hip-width aside along with your arms crossed over chest. Decrease right into a squat by pushing your hips again (as in case you had been about to sit down down in a chair), protecting chest lifted and knees behind toes. Maintain for 30–60 seconds, then stand again up.
Nonetheless an excessive amount of on the knees? Attempt to stand towards a wall and decrease right into a “sitting” place to carry. It’s also possible to use a chair and decrease as if about to sit down down, hovering simply above the seat, and maintain. Repeat as much as 3 occasions.
Standing Hip Extensions
Targets: Glutes
To do it: Holding on to the again of a sturdy chair for stability, lengthen 1 leg behind your hip along with your toes calmly touching the ground and your standing leg barely bent. Carry the leg up off of the ground behind your hip, squeezing your glutes and protecting your chest lifted and abs tight. Decrease your leg to the ground. Attempt as much as 3 units of 20 reps on all sides.
Hip Bridge Abduction
Targets: Hips, glutes, abs
To do it: Begin by mendacity in your aspect along with your higher physique propped up by your bent elbow and your reverse hand resting in your head. Prolong each legs out to the aspect, bending backside knee (maintain each knees and hips stacked).
Carry your hips and prime leg to only above hip peak. Maintain for 1 rely, then decrease hips and prime leg again to the ground. Attempt as much as 3 units of 20 reps on all sides.
Sliding Hamstring Curls
Targets: Hamstrings, thighs, glutes, decrease again, abs
To do it: Begin by mendacity in your again along with your arms by your sides, knees bent, toes flexed, with heels pressed into facilities of paper plates (attempt paper plates on a carpet, or two folded towels on arduous flooring). Carry your hips off flooring and slide 1 foot out, extending the leg out (protecting your heel pressed towards plate or towel) [A].
Shortly bend leg again in whereas sliding different leg out. That’s 1 rep. Attempt as much as 3 units of 20 reps.
Determine-4 Heel Bridge
Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, decrease again
To do it: Start by mendacity face up with knees bent, toes flexed and arms by your sides. Cross 1 leg over the opposite, inserting the ankle on prime of the alternative thigh, knee opened to the aspect [A].
Carry hips as much as the ceiling, and maintain for 1 rely. Return to the beginning. Attempt as much as 3 units of 20 reps on all sides.
Frog Press
Targets: Glutes, decrease again
To do it: Mendacity face down along with your arms bent, elbows open and chin resting on the again of your fingers, bend your knees, level the toes and press the bottoms of toes collectively, opening knees to sides.
Conserving toes touching, squeeze glutes and raise thighs off the ground as excessive as potential. Maintain for 1 rely, and decrease. Attempt as much as 3 units of 20 reps.
Interior Thigh Circles
Targets: Interior thighs, abs
To do it: Start by mendacity in your again along with your arms by your sides, each legs prolonged straight up over the hips. Flex the toes and switch the legs out about 45 levels, protecting heels touching. Brace abs in tight, and decrease legs about 45 levels towards the ground (keep away from arching decrease again).
Open legs out to the perimeters, tracing a circle. End the circle by bringing heels again collectively instantly above hips. That’s 1 rep. Do as much as 3 units of 20 reps (attempt reversing the route of the circles for every set).
Kneeling Again Kick
Targets: Glutes, decrease again, abs
To do it: Start in your fingers and knees, with fingers below shoulders and knees below hips. Brace the abs in tight, flexing one foot, lifting knee a number of inches from the ground with out shifting by way of your hips.
Prolong 1 leg behind hip, pushing out by way of the heel. Bend knee again in (with out touching the bottom). Attempt as much as 3 units of 20 reps on every leg.
*Not all workouts are appropriate for everybody. In case you are working with an damage or a selected situation, make sure to get your physician’s and/or bodily therapist’s clearance first earlier than attempting these strikes. And bear in mind to hearken to your physique and skip any actions that don’t work nicely on your knees.
On the lookout for a whole low-impact program? Take a look at my all-new “Stroll On: Stroll the Weight Off” 30-day program! This jump-free sequence has the whole lot it’s worthwhile to get nice outcomes with out the surplus put on and tear in your joints.
Pictures by Vanessa Rogers Images
