Strengthen Your Knees for Hiking

Creaky knees? Strengthen your joints with supine leg lifts to prevent pain and buckling during long descents with heavy loads. Bonus: Your ankles and hips will benefit, too. Perform this circuit with 3- to 5-pound ankle weights.

Author:: Emily Pennington
Publish date:: Nov 13, 2019

1119Skills_BootCamp_MoweryDSC07585 — Adam Mowery

The Circuit

Sets: 2-3 (parts 1 through 4 on each leg is a set)

Reps: 10 (each leg); complete 10 of each exercise on the left leg without stopping. Then do the right leg. That's one set.

Rest: 0 to 90 seconds between sets (decrease as you gain strength)

Part 1: Straight Leg Lift

Strengthen the hip flexors—which help lift your upper leg —while stabilizing deep core muscles to prevent the patella from rotating and causing pain when hiking.

1. Lie on your back and bend your right knee, keeping your right foot on the ground. Extend your left leg on the ground with toes flexed up.

2. Engage your abs and lift your left leg until your knees are in line.

3. Lower your left leg, careful to keep your belly button in toward the spine, then proceed to part 2.

Part 2: Internal Leg Lift

This turned-out leg lift targets the inside adductor muscles, which stabilize the knee laterally to prevent buckling.

1. While still lying down, turn onto your left side, propping yourself up with your left forearm. Bend your right leg so that the right foot is planted flat on the ground behind your left knee.

2. Flex your left foot so your toes point to your face.

3. Lift your left leg about 6 inches, leading with the heel. Your right foot remains firmly on the ground. Lower it slowly and repeat, then move to part 3.

Part 3: Side Leg Lift

This outer leg raise stabilizes the knee and strengthens the gluteus medius, an essential muscle for balance on the trail.

1. Flip onto your right side, propping yourself up with your right forearm. Bend your right leg on the floor underneath your straightened left leg. Flex your left foot toward your face.

2. Keeping your abs engaged and your hips stacked, lift your left leg until it is a few inches higher than your hip. Lower and repeat, then proceed to part 4.