It sounds to me like you need to do some exercises to strengthen your knees. The best I have found is straight leg raises with ankle weights. Lie on your back with one leg bent, then raise the other leg 6 to 8 inches. Hold for a count of 5, lower and repeat. I have worked up to doing 15 reps with a ten-pound weight. In addition, you should consider doing lunges, squats, and seated leg raises.

if i understand correctly the exercise suggested, the stated leg lift exercise will:

actually exercise the quads isometrically (involves no movement or contracture/shortening of the muscle(s) involved), & in part involves the knee joint, although statically,

and

will exercise the hip flexors isotonically (involves movement, or contracture/shortening of the muscle(s) involved - and, upon the "return" motion lengthening of the muscle(s) involved).

[Note: contracture, as used here, refs to just the concentric portion of a contraction when the muscle shortens against the load and not the eccentric portion of the contraction when the muscle lengthens against the load - e.g. when returning to the starting position of the rep.]

Edited by pj on 07/27/2005 10:08:15 MDT.

I put my hand up through the strap loop.The strap goes up the palm.The pole is held with the thumb&index fingers,or gripped with the hand as needed.
see this page
http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/Welcome.htm

Edited by jurko on 07/27/2005 23:50:45 MDT.

Before my last hike, I did wall-sits twice a day while brushing my teeth (easier to remember to do it then)for a few weeks before the hike. I think it helped a lot, though I still had a little trouble with one knee it wasn't nearly as bad as usual. This stregnthens the quadriceps muscles and probably some pelvic girdle and abdominal muscles. In the past working out at the gym on leg extension machines has helped a lot, but no gym membership now. Of course hiking poles are a must for me too. I'd be in sorry shape without them. Patti