Achy knees are a very common complaint. But knee pain doesn’t always mean there’s damage. You can do a lot to ease pain and actually prevent initial or further knee damage by doing two simple things to take care of those joints: stretch and strengthen.

Lack of flexibility can bring on damage or pain. Stretching combats this. Three great stretches to keep your knee joints flexible are the Hip Flexor Stretch, The Hamstring Stretch and the Figure Four Stretch. They are described in detail in this link from the Hospital for Special Surgery newsletter.

Do each stretch at least 3 times per week

Hold each stretch for at least 1 full minute.

Ease into the stretch gradually. Don’t bounce or push yourself to the point of pain.

After you’ve stretched, it’s time to strengthen the muscles around your knees to provide support and to minimize the chance of injury while you go about your daily activities. Here are four movements that are proven to be highly effective:

Squats, Leg Raises, Step-ups and Hamstring Curls

Each exercise is detailed below in the link from The Hartford Health Care – St. Vincent’s Medical Center

At Premier Fitness Source, we can provide any of the tools you need for knee-strengthening exercises, such as bands or dumbbells, and our certified staff can walk you through proper form for stretching or the exercise motions to make sure your routine is both safe and effective.