BATON ROUGE — Researchers estimate about 25 percent of all adults frequently have pain around the knees, which can limit mobility and impact quality of life.

It is a degenerative joint disease, causing the breakdown of tissues as a person ages. You may be able to slow the progression of the pain or even avoid it altogether, by strengthening your leg muscles.

“Simply put, people who had more leg muscle mass had a lower risk of knee osteoarthritis. Now that increased muscle mass can sort of protect the knee, taking some of the strain off the joints,” Dr. Sanjay Gupta said.

Strength training is the best way to bulk up the muscles in your legs. The CDC recommends older adults get 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity each week and at least two days of muscle-strengthening activity.

Options include lifting weights, working with resistance bands, using body weight for resistance during exercise, like pushups, or simply doing some gardening work or yoga.