There’s a point in everyone’s life – even if you're Trinny Woodall – when you suddenly become aware of them. You’ve sailed through your youth without giving them a single thought (except, possibly, when singing one popular playground song). Then one morning, you get out of bed and, oof, it’s happened. You’re thinking about your knees.
Now 62, Trinny has been diagnosed with ‘chronic arthritis’ in her knees. Problems in this body part can be particularly debilitating, explains physiotherapist Sam Bhide: ‘The knees bear about 80% of our body weight when bent and do much of the heavy lifting for our legs.’ They really are vital. If only we appreciated them earlier.
Knees: a national picture
The National Joint Registry's Annual Report recorded 143,972 knee replacement procedures over the course of the most recent year. That’s more than the 120,332 hip procedures that were undertaken. Knee replacement patients had an average age of 69, 55% of them were women and 98% of patients underwent surgery because of osteoarthritis.
Exercise and knee health
Last year, a study published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders found a link between physical activity and reduced knee replacement risk. Among participants with relatively mild osteoarthritis, those reporting moderate levels of physical activity had a 62% lower relative risk of undergoing knee replacement than those with low activity levels.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) also recommends exercise as a first-line treatment for knee osteoarthritis, focusing on:
- Strengthening the muscles surrounding affected joints.
- Aerobic exercise to improve general fitness.
- Supervised exercise programmes where appropriate.
So it’s important to keep moving. But how?
Trinny Woodall’s knee exercise
‘If you want really good knees that last forever, this is something that PT Nathalie Hayward taught me to do,’ Trinny said in a recent Instagram video. ‘I do it now every morning [as I drink my] hot water and lemon. It's just strengthening your [quad] muscles,’ she added, demonstrating a leg extension exercise.
Why are leg extensions good for knees?
We hate to break it to you, but no exercise will give you everlasting knees. However, knee extensions really are great for training the quadriceps, explains physiotherapist Sam Bhide, and: ‘stronger quads lead to stronger knees, as they drive the entire joint.’
Why? Strong quadriceps help support the knee joint, making everyday movements such as climbing stairs, getting out of a chair and walking easier. Research also shows that strengthening the quadriceps can reduce pain and improve function in people with knee osteoarthritis.
- Strong quadriceps improve knee stability.
- Quadriceps strengthening reduces pain and improves function in people with knee osteoarthritis.
- It can also improve stair climbing, walking and getting out of chairs.
Who should do leg extensions?
If you have any problems with your knees, it's vital you see a physiotherapist, like Sam, for advice on what exercises are safe and beneficial for you. Experts will often recommend leg extensions for knee osteoarthritis, general knee issues, older populations and acute knee injuries or pain, she explains.
‘Early in rehabilitation, knee extensions are particularly useful as a starting loading exercise,’ she says. ‘They are easy to perform and can be made more challenging by adding ankle weights or resistance bands.’
How to do a leg extension:
- Sit on the edge of a chair with a resistance band around your calves.
- Keep your feet hip-width apart and your knees bent to around 90 degrees.
- Keeping your hips level and your core engaged, straighten one leg by extending your knee and lifting your foot off the floor.
- Keep the opposite foot planted and maintain tension in the band.
- Lower with control and complete all your reps on one side before switching.
3 other exercises Sam recommends for strong knees
- Sit-to-stands and easy sitting squats: ‘These are excellent alternatives for building leg strength.’
- Bridges: ‘Great for targeting the knees and hamstrings.’
- Step-ups: ‘Effective for basic knee strengthening and cardiovascular health.’