Pilates exercises can help get rid of knee pain — but how?

While resting on the sofa works while experiencing sore knees, engaging in some Pilates exercises can be a more effective approach to get rid of the pain, depending on the cause of the pain.

A 2018 study discovered that knee pain proved to be a widespread issue, affecting 25% of adults with a 65% surge in its prevalence over the last two decades.

According to CNN, common contributors to knee discomfort include osteoarthritis, — which predominantly affects women and older adults — as well as injuries, muscle weakness or tightness, obesity, overuse, and muscle imbalances.

Here are five easy Pilates exercises that Shari Berkowitz, a biomechanist and educator to Pilates instructors, recommends for protection against knee pain.

Shoulder bridge prep

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor while keeping your feet parallel and a fist apart.

Breathe from your diaphragm and engage your core, then lift your pelvis and spine off the floor.

Hold for five breaths and then lower back down.

Standing hamstring curl

Stand up straight with your knees one or two inches apart.

Holding onto a stable chair or countertop, slowly bend one knee to a 90-degree angle.

Hold several seconds, then slowly lower your foot to the floor. Repeat with the other leg.

Half roll-down

Begin by sitting upright on a mat with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your feet flat on the floor.

Place your hands under your knees with your elbows out to the side then lightly round your spine.

Inhale and roll your pelvis and spine away from the legs until your arms are straight, then exhale and roll your pelvis and spine back up.

Straight leg raise

Lie on your back with your right knee bent.

Engage your abdominal muscles and, keeping your chest open, squeeze the muscles in your left thigh and lift your left leg up to the same height as your bent right knee. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat on the opposite leg.

Squat

Stand with your feet and legs parallel to one another and shoulder width apart.

Lower yourself down, as if sitting in a chair, making sure to press your heels into the floor.

It’s also important to keep the middle of your knees in line with the middle of your feet, which is the space between your second and third toe joints. Hold, then rise.

One may work their way up to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions for these exercises, although Berkowitz said you generally do three sets of three to five repetitions of an exercise in Pilates.

While experts agree that these five exercises should help alleviate knee pain, they are not cure-alls.

"While it's impossible to say how much they'll help any given person, incorporating these exercises could help relieve about 20% to 30% of your knee pain," said Dr Adam Kreitenberg, a rheumatologist and internal medicine physician at Rheumatology Therapeutics Medical Center in Tarzana, California..