If you're worried about constant symptoms of knee pain, or weakness around your lower leg joints, then you may find that regular functional exercise and strength-building solutions can minimize your discomfort and give you a wider range of motion. Of course, before you begin a fitness routine, it's a good idea to make sure that your body is fully prepared to take on the grueling activities ahead. The last thing you want when you're trying to build knee strength and care for your body is to face additional injuries to the muscles that support your legs. Grab your patella brace knee strap and get ready for some warmups.

Hitting the ground running without stretching and warming up your limbs could damage the efficiency of your routine and leave you open to injury. With that in mind, we're going to help you get more out of your functional exercises and protect your knees with a few valuable warmup tips.

1.    Standing Ankle Mobilization

While you're working on warming up your legs, it's a good idea to stretch out the muscles in your psoas too. Activities like running and walking can shorten the psoas, which are attached to the upper femur and lumbar spine. These small but important muscles can be significant in improving the rotation of your thighs, and can assist to remove some of the additional pressure that can be directed towards your knees during workouts.

To perform a standing ankle rotation, place your hands on a nearby wall at about shoulder height - a little over an arm's length away. Bend your left knee until the top of your leg is parallel with the floor, and keep your heels down. Hold the position for a few seconds, then with your knee still bent, pull your left leg across your body towards the right. Hold for another couple of seconds, then relax. Your knee strap support should help to keep you balanced.

2.    The Wide-Legged Patella Brace Squat

When it comes to figuring out how to warm up for patella brace knee exercises, or fitness regimens that might be heavy on the joints, this is a particular favorite of yoga enthusiasts and dancers. The wide-legged squat helps to warm up your quads, and strengthen your hip flexors, which are crucial in avoiding compression within the lower spine.

To begin the exercise, stand with your feet about 2 feet apart, then turn your toes outwards and bend your knees. Make sure that your knees don't push out in front of your feet and place your hands on your legs as you exhale, with your right hand on your right knee strap. Twist your body slightly and look over your left shoulder, then inhale and return to the center while exhaling.

3.    One-Legged Lunges

Finally, lunges are a great alternative when you want to skip the squats that can be difficult for people with painful knees. Make sure that you perform all of the reps you want to achieve on one leg with your lunges before you switch to the other. Lunges are simple enough to perform with your patella brace support, simply take a large step forward with your left leg, while bending your knees as you inhale. Try to ensure that the upper portion of your left leg is parallel with the floor, while the back of your upper leg is perpendicular with the floor. Exhale and rise up, before returning to your starting position.