10 excellent yoga poses for knee pain

Knee pain sounds a very minor problem but it is a very acute problem and very common in today’s lifestyle. The swelling, redness and ache will not only restrict your physical motion and but also lower your moral. The problem of knee pain can occur to a person of any age and the torn and the ruptured ligament is one of the most prominent causes of knee pain. However the exact problem isn’t the knee itself it is all because of the joints and the muscle surrounds it that also includes hamstring, quad and calves muscles. Sometimes the pain is also because of arthritis and gout infection that can cause you excruciating pain.

For the people who are suffering from knee pain rather than a vigorous movement that can aggravate the pain the slow and controlled movement is what they need. One can strengthen their joints and muscles around it with the help of yoga and relieved you from knee pain. The slow and gentle movement of yoga stretched and strengthens the muscles around the knee that helps in enhancing the flexibility of the joint that prevent further knee injury and give you relief from the pain.

Yoga poses for knee pain

For anyone who is suffering from knee pain, it is very essential to practice these yoga poses with very much awareness that helps you to stabilize your knee by actively contracting the muscles around it. Hence practice these yoga poses under the supervision of a yoga expert under a yoga teacher training in Rishikesh program give you much positive result.

Here are 10 excellent yoga poses to relieve you from knee pain

Bridge pose

To practice, this yoga pose lies down on your yoga mat and bend your knees and bring your heels close to the hips. Extend your arms on either side and keep them. Now press your feet firmly on the mat and lift your hips off the floor as you exhale. Engage your glutes while lifting and you can interlock your finger underneath your back to give you a nice lift. Stay in the pose for 20 to 30 second and then gently release.

Benefits: The bridge pose helps in aligning your knee properly and strengthen your back, glutes and hamstring muscles.

Chair pose

Stand in Tadasana with your feet hip-width apart and chest lifted. Slowly bend your knees and sit back as if you are sitting on an imaginary chair. Slowly lift your arms above your head while keeping your chest lifted and make sure that your weight should be on your heels not on your toes and keep breathing.

Chair pose is one of the best yoga poses that strengthens your hamstring, quadriceps and abductor muscles and also increases the blood flow to the lower region of the body that helps you with the fluidity of the movement.

Garland pose

Stand in Tadasana and then widen your feet to mat width apart. Now bend your knees and lower your hips to come down into a deep squat. If you want to turn your toes out you can do it but do not overdo it. Keep your spine straight and chest lifted. Bring your arm inside and bend your elbow and bring your palm into a Namaste position. Keep pressing your arms to your thighs and thigh to your arms and breathe deeply. Stay in the pose for at least 5 to 6 breath and then gently come into a forward fold or gently straighten your legs.

Garland pose or Malasana make your legs strong and lean while strengthening your thighs, knee and ankle. Also the garland pose or yogic squat helps in excreting your body in an easy way that keep your body clean and free from toxins.

Triangle pose

Stand taller and widen your feet according to your comfort. Turn your left foot outward at the 90 degree and right foot inward. Balance your weight equally on your both legs and your feet should be firmly pressed on the ground. Inhale and as you exhale bend your body to the left from your hips. Keep your hips straight and allow your right hand to come up in the air and your left hand on the ankle. Keep your chest and pelvis wide open and breathe deeply. To release inhale straighten your feet and bring your arms back and repeat to the other side.

Benefit

Triangle pose helps in strengthening your thigh muscles and quadriceps that strengthen your knees. It also helps you to lose weight and lessen the pressure on the knees which can be caused due to excessive weight.

Butterfly pose

Sit on your yoga mat and stretch your legs in front of you. Bend your legs from knees, bring your soles of the feet together and keep your spine straight. Breathe and move your thighs up and down like a butterfly. Keep your sitting bones rooted and with every flap you will feel a release in your hips, thighs and lower back.

It helps in relieving tension your hips, quadriceps and glutes muscles and stretches your inner thighs. It also improves the functioning of abdominal organs, kidneys and bladder.

Warrior II

Stand tall and widen your legs at least 3 to 4 feet width apart. Now turn your right toes outward and left toes inward making an angle of 90 degrees. Now bend your right knee till your knee comes directly over your ankle. Inhale and open your arms. Stay in the pose for at least 7 to 8 breath and then repeat it with another leg.

Warrior II is the best and the safest yoga poses for the people who are suffering from knee pain as it helps you to stretch and strengthen the knee while stabilizing it.

Supine Pigeon pose

Lie down on your back with your knees bend. Bring your right knee closer to your heart and cross your right ankle over your left thigh. Now interlock your both arms behind your left thigh and raise your left foot of the mat. Keep your back, shoulder and head intact on the mat and breath. Stay in the pose for at least 8 to 10 breath and switch to the other leg.

Supine pigeon pose open your hips, glutes and quadriceps muscles.

Hero pose

Start with a tabletop position and began to kneel down on the mat with your knees directly under your hips. Bring your knees together and pull your calm muscles towards the sides that will widen the gap between your feet. Now press your hips between the ankles and straighten your back. Hold the pose for 5 to 6 breaths.

Hero pose is one the best yoga pose to relieve pain though it can be pretty intense so one can start with a blanket to sit on.

Locust pose

Lie down on your belly with your arms extended beside you. Put your arms underneath to support your body and inhale. As you breathe in lift your legs and head towards the ceiling and hold it without twisting your hips. As you exhale bring your legs down gently.

It stretches your hamstrings, calf muscles and overall legs muscles also strengthen shoulder and arms.

Crocodile pose

Lie down on your stomach and fold your elbows with your fingers facing upwards. Keep your elbows shoulder apart. Stretch your legs with your toes pointing outwards and raise your shoulder and head. Keep your neck straight and fix your gaze ahead and place your chin in your palm. Stay in the asana, breathe deeply and relax your muscles. As your breath feel the relaxation in your body.

Crocodile pose stretches the entire legs muscles which give you relief from the knee pain.