Water Exercises for the Knees

Water exercises can be helpful for patients with knee injuries or osteoarthritis. Water provides a low-impact, high-resistance environment in which to exercise your knees without any weight-bearing pressure. To maintain or rebuild range of motion and flexibility in an injured knee and to relieve the pain of osteoarthritis, swim in water that is about 85 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Talk to your health care provider before starting a new exercise routine.

If you're a beginner at water exercise, start with walking in the pool. The buoyancy of the water will support your body’s weight and minimize the stress on your knees. Optionally, you may want to wear water shoes to get a better grip on the bottom of the pool. You can walk in any depth of water; the deeper the pool, the more strenuous your workout will be. Most people walk in water between waist and chest-height. Stand with your back straight, head up and arms bent at your side in a jogging position. Keeping your abdomen tight, walk with your heels landing first, and your feet flat on the bottom of the pool. Lift your knees as high as is practical for your level of function. Start with 10-minute walks, working your way up to 30 minutes.

Providing extra flotation and resistance, pool noodles can be targeted to particular body areas. To strengthen the muscles surrounding your knee, stand with your back to the side of the pool in waist-high water, stretching your arms out along the edge of the pool for balance. Tie a water noodle in a knot around your foot or water shoe. Straighten the leg with the noodle on it out straight in front of you, then slowly bend it to 90 degrees. Repeat this exercise 12 to 15 times, or until you are fatigued.

If your usual manner of standing and walking has caused knee pain, your physical therapist may want you to participate in gait training in a pool. Your therapist will prescribe specific water exercises and their duration. One of these may include practicing walking equally on both legs, rather than leaning more on the leg with the more painful knee. The water component of this exercise is helpful because it results in low-impact walking, rather than putting stress on your joints.

This exercise strengthens hip muscles, which provide support and strength to your legs and knees. Wear fins on your feet to provide greater resistance. In the shallow end of the pool, hold a kickboard in front of you with both hands. Propel yourself ahead in the water by kicking from the hips. Keep your face down and turn your head for a breath every third kick. Perform this exercise for 10 to 12 minutes.