Training with knees that already hurt

What the research says about farm knees

That is a link between hard physical work and knee wear, not proof of what caused yours. It does say your knees have done a lot of work and deserve some care.

Rules we follow with sore knees

• Pain-free range first. Go only as deep as feels fine. Shallow is a good place to start.
• Slow down. Control on the way down matters more than speed on the way up.
• Effort is fine, sharp pain is not. A working feeling in the thigh is expected. Pain in the joint that sharpens means stop that move.
• Watch the next morning. If the knee is puffier or sorer the day after, do less next time.
• Use a hand. Holding a fence rail or the side of the truck for balance is not cheating.

Four moves for the muscles around the knee

1. Bale sit-to-stand

   Uses: a hay bale 2 sets of 8

   Sit down slow onto the bale. Stand up without your hands if you can. Knees point the same way as your toes.

2. Slow split squat

   Uses: a fence rail for balance 2 sets of 6 a side

   Short step. The back knee drops only as low as feels good. Three seconds down.

3. Bale step-up

   Uses: a hay bale, or a low step to begin 2 sets of 6 a side

   Whole foot on the bale. Step up slow, step down slower. Same legs as the cab steps.

4. Straight-leg raise

   Uses: a folded feed sack to lie on 2 sets of 10 a side

   Lie back with one knee bent. Tighten the thigh of the straight leg and lift it to the height of the bent knee.

Kneeling on the job

A lot of farm work happens on your knees: fixing fence, working under equipment, checking a calf. A pad or a folded feed sack under the knee helps. So does kneeling on one knee instead of both, and switching sides now and then.

Getting up matters as much as getting down. Come up through a half-kneel with a hand on something solid rather than pushing straight up off both knees.

These moves are general strength work, not a treatment for any knee condition, and they do not replace care from your doctor or a physical therapist.