Knee pain is one of the most disabling symptoms in the aging population. The Beijing Osteoarthritis Study showed people aged 60 or more, the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis was 43% in women, and 22% in men. Of this group of 60 years or more, 15% of women and 6% of men had symptoms of painful knees.

Many doctors may point in the direction of medication or even surgery. However research has shown numerous times that a specialized lower body strengthening program for the knees, hips, and ankles is just as good as surgery in the short term, but better than surgery in the long term. Learning how to move properly from simple day-to-day tasks such as squatting, kneeling, lunging, bending, and lifting can significantly decrease pain and more importantly improve function so that you can perform at the best of your ability.

One of the main reasons for knee pain in relation to aging is having unstable knees. Building the muscles around the hips, knees, and core while improving balance at the ankle will keep your knee in a better position when moving around.

Here are 5 simple exercises that do not require any equipment to start you off!

Complete 3-5 rounds of 12-15 repetitions of each exercises

Exercises:
1. Single leg balancing (with slight knee bend) holding for 20 seconds
2. Single leg stance step-outs
3. Single leg stance around the world step-outs
4. Single leg squats
5. Single leg deadlifts