Whether the pain is from chronic condition to athletic injuries, knee pain can be a big inhibitor of some great lower body exercises. Here is a list of exercises to give a try to increase muscle strength without bothering the knee.
Step Downs: Start standing on the bench/box so that you can step off of it to the side. The foot you are standing on will be near the edge of the bench as if you are going to step down with your other foot. Slowly hinge forward with your back flat, push your butt back as you bend your knee, and don’t let your foot touch the ground. Once you are as low as you can do, drive back up to standing. Start with a lower box/bench first and work your way to high heights as you become more mobile and improve strength.
Works the quads, hams, and glutes as well as works to improve balance.
Single Leg ½ Squat, ½ Deadlift: Start by standing on one leg with the opposite knee around hip height. Start bending standing leg as you drive the other leg back, hinging forward (deadlift) as you squat down. Keep your chest up as you get to your lowest point, where the back should be flat, then drive back up to the start position. Move your arms as if you are running and the slower you perform this move, the harder you make it. Start shallow if needed but as you become stronger your range of motion will become greater. Works quads, hams, and balance.
Eccentric Leg Squats: There are two ways you can do this exercise; single leg or both. Depending on the strength of the individual, you may want to start off with performing this exercise with both legs then moving onto the single leg version. Once moving onto the single leg version, it is a great progression for individuals wanting to perform single leg squats as well.
- Two Leg Version: With a bench/box behind you and the weight in the front, activate your core to slowly lower yourself to the seat. Do not just drop down; it should be a controlled movement all the way through. Drive your weight through your heels as you stand back up, ensuring not to lean forward.
- Single Leg Version: With a bench/box behind you and the weight in the front, activate your core to slowly lower yourself to the seat with one leg. Do not just drop down; it should be a controlled movement all the way through. Drive your weight through both heels as you stand back up, ensuring not to lean forward.
If you find you are unable to control the down movement, raise the height of the box/bench and slowly increase depth over time. If you are very new to this, I suggest starting at holding 5-10 lbs dumbbells in front of you at shoulder level to help balance until you are comfortable to add more load.