As an indispensable joint in our daily activities, the health of the knee joint is directly related to our quality of life. There are numerous muscles around the knee joint, especially the vastus medialis of the quadriceps—the powerful muscle located on the upper inner side of the knee—whose strength ensures the stability and health of the knee joint.

Today, Dr. Huang Sihua from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University introduces a simple and easy-to-learn exercise that requires only a brief ten minutes each day to effectively strengthen these muscles and provide lasting protection for your knees.

01

01 Basic Version：

Key points of the exercise：

1. Sit on the edge of the bed, a sturdy chair, or a sofa stool. After sitting steadily, straighten your back and place both feet flat on the floor.

2. Choose one leg, extend it and tighten the knee, then slowly lift it, raising the leg off the bed or chair surface as far as possible. You can slightly externally rotate the leg to better activate the medial thigh muscles. At this point, you should feel contraction and tension of the vastus medialis of the quadriceps.

3. Hold the leg-raising position until the leg muscles begin to feel slightly sore, then lower the leg and switch to the other leg to practice. Repeat in this way, practicing for 5–10 minutes each time, adjusting as appropriate based on individual circumstances.

02

02 Advanced version:

1. Sit on the edge of a bed, a sturdy chair, or a sofa stool. Once seated securely, straighten your back and waist, and place both feet flat on the floor.

2. Choose one leg, extend it and tighten the knee, then slowly lift it, trying to raise it 20–30 cm above the bed or seat. At the same time, try to slightly externally rotate the leg to better activate the medial thigh muscles.

3. Add a toe-curling action: while lifting the leg, try to dorsiflex the toes; this not only further exercises the quadriceps but also promotes concurrent development of the calf muscles.

4. Maintain the lifted-leg and toe-dorsiflexion position until the leg muscles feel noticeably sore and tense, then lower the leg and repeat with the other leg. Each session lasts about 10 minutes; gradually increase difficulty and duration according to individual condition.

Precautions:

1. When trying for the first time, do not rush to achieve results to avoid injury from excessive stretching or fatigue. At first you may not be able to raise the leg 20–30 cm off the bed or chair surface; do not force it. You can gradually lift to this height as strength improves through exercise.

2. When the leg muscles feel sore, that is the best time to lower the leg and switch to training the other leg.

3. If you experience discomfort or pain in the leg during the exercise, stop immediately and seek professional medical assistance.

4. The advanced variation places higher demands on the leg muscles, so be sure your physical condition permits this type of exercise.

Starting today, spend ten minutes a day to safeguard our knee health and extend their service life so they can accompany us through more wonderful life journeys! Remember to like, save, and share to help more people see this~