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If you need to get your knees stronger there are a few knee strengthening exercises that are easy to do and will make a huge difference to your fitness.

If you suffer from a condition called chrondromalacia patella this first exercise will be really useful. This is a condition caused by the softening and degeneration of the cartilage underneath the knee cap ‘patella’. It usually occurs when the muscles and bones of the knee are out of alignment.

A really simple exercise that will help is as follows:- Sit comfortably on a chair, try not to tense up, you need to relax, have your thigh parallel with the ground, leg bent and 90 degrees, feet on the ground, tense the thigh, then hold this position for five seconds and release the hold, do the same with the other leg. Complete ten reps on each leg.

It is very important to remember to breathe whilst doing these exercises.

Another exercise does a little more to build strength in the muscles that control bending at the knee.

Sit in a chair again, then cross your bent legs at the ankle. Push your legs forward with the rear leg then push them back using the front leg. (At first this can seem a little tricky but it is really easy once you get used to it!).

Change over by reversing the direction of the cross. If your left leg was in front, move it to the back and but your right leg in front. Do ten reps for each leg in each position.

How To Get Those Calves Working

Are you ready to move onto to something a little more challenging?

If your balance is not all that great it may be a good idea to do the following exercise whilst standing on a may, carpet or at least a wooden floor. Try to avoid doing the exercises on a metal or concrete floor.

Stand upright, heels together, toes a little apart. Make sure to keep your balance.

Lift your heels up, balance on the balls of your feet. Try to imagine an invisible string fixed to the centre of your head pulling you straight up. Hold this position for five seconds, then lower yourself down slowly. Do ten reps of this. Eventually as you build up strength in your legs and increase your balance, you will be able to increase the amount of time you can stay on the balls of your feet.

To intensify this exercises a little try bending your knees whilst you have your heels raised. By doing this you will also be using the muscles in your quadriceps, hamstrings and buttocks. Remember to straighten your knees then lower your heels. Do ten reps.

I am sure you are aware of how important it is to have strong, healthy knees when carrying out any type of fitness routine. Doing these easy knee strengthening exercises regularly will really improve the state of your knees and help you increase your fitness levels even further.