Can I practice yoga if I have bad knees?

The knee is an important part of the human body, and plays a very important role in the bending of the leg and normal walking. If your knees are not in good condition, your legs will certainly be inconvenient, which will have a certain impact when you do various movements. Yoga is a sport that has a good effect on promoting human body shape, and many people practice yoga regularly. So, can I practice yoga if I have bad knees? The answer will be given below.

1. Can I practice yoga if I have knee pain?

Whether you can practice yoga if you have knee pain depends mainly on the cause of the knee pain and the type of yoga.

If the knee pain is only mild due to arthritis, synovitis or other causes, proper exercise can promote knee recovery, but it should not be too intense. You can do some yoga moves that will not put too much strain on the knee.

However, if knee pain is caused by causes such as knee dislocation and meniscus injury that require rest to recover, you need to lie down for a while as advised by your doctor, and you should give up yoga for the time being.

2. Benefits of Yoga for Knee Pain

The best way to prevent knee pain or recover from knee injuries is to maintain a healthy weight and enhance the flexibility and reflex regulation of the knee balance muscles, which can reduce the risk of knee joint injury. Practicing yoga can achieve this effect.

3. How to practice yoga for knee pain

1. Inner Leg Raise

Starting position: Lie on the floor on your left side with your hips slightly forward and your right hip directly over your left hip. Straighten your left leg and place it flat on the floor. Bend your right knee slightly and place the inside of your right foot on the floor just in front of your body. Bend your left elbow and rest your head on your left upper arm. Place your right palm on the floor in front of your chest to support your body.

Action process: Keep the rest of the body stable and still, contract the inner muscles of the left thigh and lift it up about 15 cm. Hold for 3 seconds, then slowly return to the starting position. After completing your target number of reps on one leg, switch to the other leg. Do 2 to 3 sets, 15 times each set, alternating between the left and right legs.

How to increase the difficulty: When your legs are at the highest point of the movement, lift them up 4 to 8 times (do not drop them to the ground), then return to the original position and do the next movement.

2. Turn your feet and raise your legs

Starting position: Sit on the floor with your left leg extended in front of you with your toes pointing up and your right foot flat on the floor with your right leg bent. Keeping your torso straight and your abdominal muscles contracted, lean back and place your hands behind you, resting your weight on your forearms. Gently hook your left toe and rotate it outward from your hip so that your toes point to the 11 o'clock direction on the dial (when your right leg moves, your right foot turns to the 1 o'clock direction).

Action steps: Tighten your left quadriceps and lift your left leg until it is at the same height as your right knee. Hold the position for 3 seconds, then slowly return to the starting position. After completing all reps with your left leg, switch to your right leg. This counts as 1 set. Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

To increase the difficulty: Sit up straight and hug your right knee in front of your chest when practicing.

3. Knee stretch

Starting position: Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Roll up two towels and place them one on top of the other under your left knee. Keeping your torso straight and your abdomen engaged, lean back and support yourself with your forearms.

Action process: Hook your left foot upward, tighten your left quadriceps to straighten your leg, press your knee against the towel, and lift your ankle slightly off the floor. Hold for 2 seconds, then relax. After finishing the left leg reps, switch to the right leg. This counts as 1 set. Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

To increase the difficulty: Place your other foot on the ankle of the training leg while practicing.