Hi everyone! I need to work on strengthening my leg muscles, but I have sensitive knees and using the weight machines at the gym or doing lunges or squats makes them hurt (yes, I am using correct form, they just can't take the stress). I know I can do leg lifts but I haven't managed to find a good "routine" for it to make sure I work all the muscles, plus it's kind of boring. Any suggestions? (Preferably something I can do with equipment readily available at my gym.)

I do leg lifts sitting on the stability ball as well as heel draws for hamstrings.

Jessica, have you tried unweighted wall squats with a stability ball against your lower back? My knees have always been really weak so I started with those before I did any free standing or weighted squats. The ball against your back helps to take some of the pressure of your knees.

Can you do any portion of the squat or lunge movements? Doing them until the point of pain may not allow you to go as deep but it will start to build up those muscles & slowly increase your range of painfree motion.

You could also incorporate deadlifts, calf raises, step ups (on the highest step your knees can handle).

As well walking on uneven surfaces or in sand can really help strengthen all the supporting tissues because they are constantly readjusting to the terrain. I found a summer working on the beach did absolute wonders for my legs.

Jessica, my physical therapist had me doing unweighted ball squats as baffled mentioned, just going down until you start to have pain, hold for a bit, repeat. I managed to do enough over the weekend to have lots of delayed pain for a couple days (as mentioned on the chat thread ). He also had me do lunges, just carefully placing my feet and again lowering only until I felt any pain, then raise up. No walking lunges, no weight.

The other thing he had me doing - and this depends on why your knees hurt, I think (Mine is the malalignment of my patellas) - is hip strengthening exercises including leg lifts in various guises. Also hamstring and quad strengthening including leg extensions (using the cable machine) and leg presses.

I have tried the ball squats before, I guess I was just going down too far. I thought that to get the benefit of a squat you were supposed to go all the way down. I guess it's okay if I only go down a little bit instead?

It's better to go only part way down than not squat down at all There are benefits to your thighs and butt even if you don't do the full range of motion.

And the theory is that you will be able to go down further as your knees improve!

And as your muscles get stronger.