Articles written by Devin Sherrington about health, wellness and fitness in regular column called Fit to Be Tried in the Daily News:

The Daily News - Fit to Be Tried by Devin Sherrington

Your knees are aching. When you squat down they crack and pop. Sometimes it even hurts to walk.

You're not alone. Sadly, millions of people are suffering with sore knees. But keep your head up because help is on the way.

First if your knees are sore go see your doctor. You might have something seriously wrong. But if you're like many other people who just happen to have sore knees, I have some tricks that may help you lead a more comfortable life.

To start out be sure you're wearing good footwear. I know I've spoke about this before, but it's especially important for sore knees. Worn out shoes with bad support, wreak havoc on joints and ligaments.

Now that you've ruled out your shoes look at other things that might be causing the problem. For example do you run on asphalt or concrete?

A completely unforgiving surface like either of those can cause all kinds of aches and pains. Our bodies aren't designed to run on surfaces with absolutely no give. If you want to give your body a break try running on gravel or a treadmill.

And if you're not doing anything you can think of to make your knees hurt? Well I have some suggestions.

You have extremely sore knees, first try exercising in the pool. Swimming is one of the best exercises. It doesn't put direct pressure on your knees and gives you a great workout. If you love the pool and want to try water aerobics go for it. The water actually acts as a stabilizer and keeps a lot of the weight off your knees.

Maybe the best key for making your knees feel their best is weightlifting. Strengthening all the muscles around your knee will help to keep the joint in place and will reducing injuries. Even better, as those muscles get stronger they'll take pressure off your knee allowing it to heal.

Here are two simple exercises to help strengthen the muscles around your knees.

Partial Squats. Stand with your feet about should width apart. Hold a chair or wall for balance. Squat down. Remember to break at the knees first and then allow your hips to follow. You should be looking straight ahead with your back straight and stomach tight. Only go down until your knees form a little above a 90-degree angle. Then stand back up. Do two sets of 12-15 repetitions.

Straight Leg Raises. Sit with your back against a wall. Your right leg should be stretched straight out and your left leg bent at the knee so your left foot is flat on the floor. Slowly raise your right leg up about 12 inches from the floor. Hold it there for two seconds and then lower it back to the floor. Do 12-15 repetitions and then switch legs. You should do two sets.

Go slowly and don't push yourself too hard. If you take care of your knees they might never give you trouble again.