Knee pain is an issue that ails most people. Some suffer due to orthopedic injuries, others from weight gain and neglect. Whichever side of the scale you find yourself on, there are a few ways that if applied consistently, can increase knee joint stability and reduce pain.

1) Watch your form- This is for the current gym-goer... you know who you are. You 'forget' to throw a leg day into your routine on a regular basis due to the fact that every time you squat, your knees kill you for days after. Plain and simple, most people I see at the gym are executing squat exercises with improper form. Take a look at this diagram and consider your form...

2) Know your weaknesses- If you are a full-time student or desk-bound worker, you will commonly suffer from tight abdominals and hip flexors and weak, underactive glutes. If you are an active individual who spends most of the day on your feet, you are likely to experience weakness in the quads and tightness in the hamstrings and glutes. Knowing what your weaknesses are is a great way to start developing a program that stretches the muscles that are overactive and strengthen the ones that are underactive. Muscle tension relationships are key to relieving knee pain.

 

3) Commit to your success- Creating permanent changes in muscles and joints does not happen overnight. The key to lasting joint health is consistent work and sufficient rest. You must adhere to a strengthening and stretching program for a minimum of 4 weeks to see your body respond, and 12 weeks or more to develop permanent changes. This must include bodyweight and resistance training, flexibility, and conditioning.

Here are a few exercises that if added to your current routine, can increase knee joint strength and stability:

Always include a warm-up- A proper warm-up before any exercise will help to increase your flexibility, deliver blood and nutrients into your muscles, prime the heart for an increase in work load, and is the first-time in defense against injuries. Always spend 5-7 min warming up via walking or biking, followed by 10-15 min of stretching. Start with static stretches of the quads, hamstrings, calfs and glutes, and work your way up the body.

Bodyweight Squats performed at a 4/2/1 Tempo- do this in front of a mirror to insure proper form. Begin in a standing position and lower yourself to a squat position on a 4 count (1 Mississippi, 2 ....). Pause for 2 seconds in the squat position, and stand back up in 1 count. This tempo will challenge your stability as well as increase your muscles' time under tension, proving to cause hypertrophy and induce new muscle growth.

Don't neglect the basics- Be sure to include exercises for the range of motion your knee is responsible for- flexion, extension, abduction and adduction. Exercises would include quadriceps extensions, hamstring curls, lateral lunges and hip adduction. When you support the joints' natural motion and strengthen it in that state, you will create your own, built-in knee brace, increasing your stability!

Take it slow- Incorporate exercises from pilates and yoga based workouts once a week. This will allow you to spend time stretching and strengthening, and since most work is done with little to no added resistance, it is often the safest way to introduce new work to a muscle or joint that has been neglected.

Listen to your body- just because the girl in the squat rack before you was doing Ass-to-Grass squats, doesn't mean you should too... listen to your body and know your limits! If you are struggling to maintain PERFECT form while squatting to 90 degrees, you have no business going lower. If an exercise elicits PAIN, stop and reevaluate your form and the weight you are working with. You wont make progress if your injured, so take it easy until you know your limits.

The most important factor to your success in reaching any fitness goal is CONSISTINCY. Implement a well-rounded exercise program that includes stability, strength, power and endurance, but also includes an opportunity for your body to rest! If you have questions about how to create your own exercise program or how to reach your fitness goals, feel free to contact me for more information at lyndsiemfitness@aol.com