It’s not uncommon to suffer from knee pain, and it certainly can be a severe annoyance, especially if it’s chronic. You’ve probably also had some aches around your foot and hip areas, which can be the result of overwork, stress or just plain tiredness.
Luckily, just moving your body around and using your muscles can ease the pain. In other words, if you’re dealing with an injury or just want to lighten the pain you might have in your feet, knees or hips, give these seven simple exercises a quick try.
1) Walking on your toes
The first one is also the simplest one. Even though it might look a little funny, walking on your toes is actually beneficial for the strength of your calves. Consider it a small workout for your toes and feet in general, and walking on your toes is also something you can do while multitasking.
It’s recommended that you do this at a fast pace to increase the effectiveness of the ‘workout’. Keep at it for a couple of minutes up to a quarter hour, or until you can’t hold your balance anymore.
2) Circular movements with ankles
If your ankles are giving some troubles, you can always try to move them in circular movements. You can do this while standing up or sitting down, although standing up will require a little bit more effort. Slowly rotate the foot in circles, and repeat ten times inwards and again ten times outwards.
3) Walking on a ball
Try and find a tennis ball laying around somewhere, or something else that’s round and can support your weight. Next, sit on a chair so you won’t lose your balance and step on the tennis ball. What you want to do is push the tennis ball forward up until your toes, and then vice versa. It’s a small massage that’ll help ease the pain!
4) Raising your heels
Heel raises are another great method to give your feet, ankles, and knees some exercise that can help relieve some of the stress and pain. Take a chair for support, and start by raising one of your legs. Next, you want to gradually raise the heel until you’re at the point when your standing at your toes. Place your heel back on the floor, and do this at least ten times for both of your legs.
5) Buttock kicks
Buttock kicks are another great exercise, as they’ll greatly strengthen your hamstrings and will increase the flexion in your knees. Doing these is incredibly simple: just lie on your stomach and keep your legs straight. Lift your foot and bend it towards your buttock as far as you can, and repeat with the other leg. Do these kicks 25 times, three times a day for the best results.
6) Resistance band training
This one is a little bit less accessible because you need to use a resistance band, but the results are definitely among the most effective. Use a table or a couch leg to fix one of the resistance bands, and then put one of your legs under the other one. Next, use your foot to grab a hold of one of the bands and pull it towards you while bending your foot. Do this 15 times for each leg and you’ll notice your thigh muscles getting some exercise in no time.
7) Curling your toes
Who said exercise had to be boring? Curling your toes can be beneficial to ease foot pain, and it turns out that there’s just a perfect game out there to make things a little bit more fun. Place a towel on the floor directly beneath you, and drop a few small pebbles. By using your feet and toes to drop them into a sort of basket, you’ll stimulate muscles that can help relieve pain.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.