Why yoga poses for knee pain? You don’t appreciate your healthy knees until they start hurting. Whether you’re dealing with arthritis pain, or an old injury, bad knees are no fun.
Knees are seriously so important. They influence your ability to walk, run, and live your best life.
But before you stock up on the ibuprofen or motrin, there is hope for improvement for bad knees. Consider these yoga poses for knee pain that can have you feeling better fast.
Healing yoga poses for knee pain
First, yoga is fabulous for inflammation and discomfort. It helps with migraines, fibromyalgia, and more.
If you’ve got chronic pain, then yoga is your new best friend. It can help improve mobility, ease discomfort, and even improve your mood.
Effective yoga poses for knee pain are ones that help strengthen joints, as well as the muscles surrounding the knees. And they help soothe where you’re carrying pain.
You might think that the postures and poses in yoga might be difficult if you’ve got bad knees. But the beauty of yoga is that any move can be modified.
Yoga isn’t just for iced coffee sipping hipsters. It’s for anyone and everyone.
So which poses are the best to heal sore or injured knees? Here are 11 poses that are a great place to start.
Mountain Pose
Mountain pose might look simple. But it’s a pose that improves balance and posture, and strengthens an array of muscles. And thus it takes pressure off of your knees.
How to do it –
Stand straight with your heels together or slightly separated.
Now lift up your feet and spread them out into a v shape as you return them to the floor.
Engage your quads while you rotate your thighs inwards. This movement should help relieve pressure from your knees.
Keep your hips in the center of your body. Gently bring your belly in. Make sure your shoulders are stacked over your pelvis and your collarbone is open. Leave your arms gently by your side.
Feel your neck elongate as your head rises towards the ceiling.
Let yourself breathe in this position. Stay here long enough to take at least ten good breaths.
Chair Pose
This pose strengthens the thighs while stretching the hips and legs.
How to do it –
Stand straight with your hands by your side and your feet and legs touching.
Press down into your feet and slowly bend your knees. Make sure to activate your core.
Raise your arms over your head with your palms facing inwards towards each other. Lean your torso forward and hold for at least 30 seconds..
Horse Pose
This pose is amazing for both stretching and strengthening the muscles throughout the legs. And when your legs muscles are working properly, you take pressure off the knees.
How to do it –
Stand straight in a neutral position. And from there, step outwards so your feet are a little more than shoulder width apart. Your toes should be pointing outwards.
And now bend your knees about 90 degrees. Make sure your knees do not extend past your toes to keep proper alignment. Keep your pelvis tucked under your buttocks.
Press your palms together in front of your chest. Relax your shoulders and open your chest.
Hold for about 30 seconds.
Warrior Pose
This post stretches and uses muscles throughout your legs, taking pressure off of your knees.
How to do it –
Stand straight with your feet together.
Take a step forward with your right foot, going into a lunge. Your right knee bends and your left leg stays straight. As you bend, focus on activating the muscles in your leg.
Make sure that your knee doesn’t extend past your toes. In all yoga poses for knee pain, your alignment is vital to reaching your goals!
Pivot your left foot out by 45 degrees.
Now raise both hands into the air, keeping your arms straight. Your shoulders stay down. Hold for 30 seconds.
And now that you’ve done it on one side, do it on the other.
Triangle Pose
Triangle pose is a great stretch for your thighs, knees, hamstrings, and ankles. It also improves balance which takes pressure off of your knees.
How to do it –
From warrior pose, pivot your upper body 90 degrees to go from looking straight ahead, to looking towards the right. Keep your feet firmly planted into the floor.
Now lower your left hand straight down towards your ankle. Stack your left shoulder over the right.
Now open your chest as you raise your right arm into the air. Turn your head to gaze towards your fingertips as you feel your thigh muscles continue to draw upwards.
Hold this for at least five breaths and then move to the other side.
Bridge Pose
This pose it good for the back. But it’s also helpful for stretching and strengthening your legs. Make sure to plant your feet firmly into the floor to get the most from this pose.
How to do it –
Start lying on your back. Your arms should be by your side. And your legs are bent with your feet flat on the floor.
Now press your feet into the ground. And as you exhale, push your tailbone upwards and lift your buttocks off the floor
Hold this pose for 30 seconds and slow roll down.
Wide-Angled Seated Forward Bend
This pose allows you to stretch your legs, while also being very protective and comforting to your knees. Just make sure not to hyperextend.
How to do it –
From a seated position, open your legs to about a 90 degree angle. Now flex your feet to help activate your leg muscles.
Place your hands on the ground in front of you and gently walk your hands forward. Make sure to move from the hips and maintain length in your spine. Stop before your spine starts to curve.
Breath in this position, continuing to focus on stretching from your legs and lengthening your spine. Stay here for about 60 seconds.
Hero Pose
This one is the ultimate pose for relieving pain and taking pressure off of your knees.
How to do it –
Start on bent knees. Touch your knees together while you move your feet slightly more than hips width apart. Plant the tops of your feet firmly into the ground
With your hands, pull up under your knees as you settle your buttocks to the floor. If you have trouble reaching the floor, you can always sit on a block or a folded up blanket.
Rest your palms on your legs. Keep your shoulders wide and your chest open.
Breathe in this pose and hold for about 60 seconds.
Figure 4
This pose is all about relaxing and opening up the hips, glutes, and legs, thus taking pressure off of the knees.
How to do it –
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.
Now lift your right leg off the floor and cross it over your left knee. Your right leg should now be perpendicular to the left.
Wrap your hands around your left leg and lift it off the ground. Gently pull your leg towards you until you feel a good stretch.
And now that you’ve done it on one side, do it on the other. This is one of those yoga poses for knee pain that should feel comfortable, and like a good stretch.
Reclining Hand to Big Toe
This pose stretches throughout the legs, while also bringing relief to the knees.
How to do it –
Lie flat on your back and pull your legs into your chest.
From there, extend your left leg straight. Flex and push through the left foot.
Now raise your right leg into the air and grab your toe with your right hand. If you don’t have enough flexibility, you can always wrap a yoga strap around your leg and hold onto that with your right hand instead
Flex your right foot and extend through your leg. Concentrate on lengthening. Your left arm should be resting gently by your side.
Hold this pose for about 60 seconds, and then switch to the other side.
Happy Baby
The pose won’t just have you moving like a baby. It’s great for opening up your hips and stretching your legs so that you remember the comfort you had in your body as a little kid.
How to do it –
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet planted into the ground.
And take a breath and bring your knees into your chest.
As you grab onto the bottom of your feet (or ankles), lift your legs up as you push your sacrum down. Your legs should be slightly wider than your torso.
Feel your hips, groin and legs open and stretch. Gently rock from side to side.
Hold this pose for as long as it feels good. And now you’ve finished your yoga poses for knee pain!
