Injury prevention isn't one fitness goal to ignore, especially when it comes to your knees.
According to Kat Ellis, an NASM-certified personal trainer for obé Fitness, one way to prevent knee injuries from plaguing your workouts with pain is by building up your strength.
"The knee is a highly mobile joint that requires strong muscles to stabilize it so it doesn't move in an injury causing pattern," Ellis explains. "The stronger the muscles around the knee are, the less likely it is to become injured."
Bonus: you can even work this knee strengthening focus into your cardio routine — just follow these five moves curated by Ellis, below.
Remember: Because everyone is different and knee injuries aren't anything to mess around with, it's always best to speak with a personal trainer or physical therapist if you have any concerns and/or previous injuries.
"This compound exercise gives you a lot of bang for your buck because it works to stabilize both the knee and the hip at the same time," Ellis says.
Ellis says focusing on the hamstrings is crucial to develop lower body strength, as they balance out the quadricep and allow for efficient movement of the knee.
"Single leg squats are a fantastic way to address the asymmetry between our right and left sides and work on getting our weaker side stronger," Ellis explains.
"The muscles on the outside of your knee and hip are a vital part of lower body stabilization, and the stronger and more stable they are, the less likely you are to experience a knee or hip injury," Ellis notes.
This exercise strengthens the knee joint and the core, Ellis says.
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