Knees Hurt? This Exercise Takes Pressure Off (Even “Bone-On-Bone”)

Dr. Alyssa Kuhn, arthritis expert, shows us how:

Gently does it

The main exercise to do is a simple supported backward step: hold a kitchen counter for support, step one leg backwards at a time, touch your toes first, then lower your heel, keep your chest up, avoid leaning forwards, and you can even use a smaller step or double-handed support if you need to, to start with.

The reason this works is because backward stepping strengthens your glutes and hamstrings, supports your knees differently than forward movement, and can reduce irritation from repetitive forward walking.

Once you’ve got that down, you can progress it by putting a resistance band around your mid-shin, repeat backward stepping while maintaining posture, press your leg backwards against resistance, and actively squeeze your glutes. Do start with a lighter band, increase thickness only as comfort and control improve.

You can then also move to walking backwards along a counter or hallway (so you know you’re not going to walk into anything), stepping toe first then heel, and keeping your chest upright.

For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

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Take care!