5 Knee-Friendly Exercise Alternatives for Active Seniors: Stop Wrecking Your Joints!

Avoiding certain exercises can be beneficial in preventing undue stress on your knees.

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Throughout your life, your knees have been your steadfast companions, working hard alongside you. Inevitably, this has led to a natural wear and tear of the cartilage and lubricants that cushion these joints. Coupled with diminishing muscle mass due to aging and any injuries sustained over the years, it is crucial to treat your knees with care. Insights from Doug Bertram, M.S., L.Ac., MTCM, Founder & CEO of the orthopedic wellness brand Structural Elements®, highlight five exercises that can significantly impact your knees post-60, along with more beneficial alternatives.

According to Bertram, while no exercise is inherently harmful, certain moves pose a greater risk of exacerbating knee pain if they surpass an individual’s current capabilities in strength, mobility, balance, or recovery. After 60, the objective should shift towards fostering resilience rather than merely withstanding stress. Effective fitness routines at this stage prioritize enhancing overall movement quality over just ramping up intensity. When your body functions more fluidly as a cohesive unit, stress on the knees tends to reduce, enabling continued activity, independence, and comfort in the long run.

Knee Extensions

Using the knee extension machine can place considerable strain on the anterior parts of your knee joints, especially affecting the patellofemoral joint. Plus, it engages the quadriceps in a way that doesn’t translate well to everyday physical activities.

“For knee extension machines, a better alternative is the sit-to-stand exercise from a chair. This movement strengthens the quadriceps while integrating the hips, core, and balance systems in a way that directly improves daily function,” explains Bertram.

Here’s how to do the sit-to-stand:

1. Begin seated at the front of a sturdy chair with your feet placed on the floor under your knees.
2. Lean forward slightly.
3. Try to stand up without using your knees, hands, or additional support.
4. Use control to slowly sit back down.

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High-Impact Running

High-impact running on hard surfaces like pavement can present major issues when mobility, strength, and recovery capacity decline.

“For high-impact running, brisk uphill walking or incline treadmill walking provides an excellent cardiovascular challenge while significantly reducing impact forces on the joints,” Bertram tells us.

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Deep Squats

While deep squats serve as a stellar lower-body workout in some cases, they can potentially wreak havoc on your knees after 60.

“Deep squats are not inherently harmful, but limited ankle and hip mobility often force the knee to absorb more stress than necessary,” Bertram explains.

Try box squats instead.

“Sitting back toward a box or bench encourages proper hip loading, improves movement mechanics, and allows individuals to work safely within their current mobility,” Bertram tells us.

Here’s how to do box squats:

1. Begin by standing tall in front of plyometric box with your feet hip-width apart on the ground.
2. Activate your core and keep your chest lifted.
3. Bend at the knees and hips and lower slowly into a squat—as if you’re about to sit down. Make sure your weight stays in your heels.
4. Lightly touch the surface of the chair with your glutes.
5. Press through your heels to rise back up.

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Walking Lunges

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According to Bertram, walking lunges can place excessive shear forces on the knee when performed without proper control or strength.

“For walking lunges, step-ups offer many of the same strength benefits while providing greater control over knee alignment and loading,” he says.

Here’s how to do step-ups:

1. Begin by standing tall, facing a sturdy workout bench, plyometric box, or step that’s about knee level. Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Place your left foot firmly onto the surface, keeping your core engaged and chest tall.
3. Press through your left heel to lift your body until your left leg is straight and you’re standing on the surface.
4. Use control to lower back to the start position.
5. Repeat on the other side.

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Box Jumps

Box jumps and other explosive jumping movements can be hard on aging joints, which are less capable of absorbing the high impact efficiently.

“For box jumps and aggressive plyometric exercises, controlled power and balance drills such as step-and-hold movements, lateral stepping patterns, or medicine ball exercises can improve coordination, reaction time, and power production without the high landing forces associated with jumping,” Bertram says.