Doing a few simple knee strengthening exercises can go a long way to making your knees stronger therefore enabling you to get fitter, quicker.

This first exercise is really good for those who suffer from conditions such as chondromalacia patella. That’s a roughening of the cartilage underneath the knee cap, sometimes as the result of the bones not sitting properly in the ‘V’ of the knee joint.

Sit in a chair, back straight but not tensed. Your leg should be bent at 90 degrees, the thigh parallel to the ground, the lower leg vertical. Tense the thigh, hold for 5 seconds then release. Switch legs and repeat. Do 10 reps for each leg. Easy, huh!

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

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

Sit up straight and breathe normally, then cross your legs at the ankle. Push forward with the rear leg and back with the front leg. (A little tricky at first, but think about it!)

Switch legs by reversing the direction of the cross. If the right leg was in front, move it to the rear. Repeat the exercise 10 times for each position.

Stretching Those Calves

Would you like 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 do the exercises on a metal or concrete floor.

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

Lift the heels, balancing on the balls of your feet. Imagine a string attached to the centre of your head pulling you up. Hold for 5 seconds, then lower slowly. Repeat 10 times. Over time, as you build strength and balance, increase the length of time you’re on the balls of the feet.

Vary the action by bending slightly at the knee while you still have the heels raised. This will bring the thighs (quadriceps or ‘quads’ and hamstrings) as well as the buttocks into play. Straighten up, then lower the heels. Repeat 10 times.

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.

If you want to tone up the rest of your legs, take a look at these details for the best leg exercises.  These exercises will help you build strong, sexy legs quickly.  To get the rest of your body into shape, find loads of health and fitness tips here.