Preventing Knee Pain in Active Lifestyles

Regardless of your age, pain at the front of the knee or below the knee-cap is extremely common in active people! Unfortunately, knee pain can be persistent and compromise physical activity and sports performance by impacting the ability to jump, run and change direction. It is thus one of the most common reasons for why people abandon the activity or sport they love so much. However, research suggest that reduced ankle range of movement, reduced hip muscle strength and poor jumping or landing mechanics can predispose athletes to knee pain. So why not try to prevent it before it even starts?! An exercise program including sport specific drills, ankle stretches, hip and trunk mobility and strengthening exercises during a 15-20 minute warm up has been shown to reduce knee pain by up to 51%! By incorporating these simple home exercises into your warmup, you can target and improve on these risk factors, improve performance and continue doing what you love!

Bottom line- AN EFFECTIVE WARM UP= PREVENTION = HIGH PERFORMANCE

Check out these simple but dynamic strength-based hip exercises that can be incorporated into your warm-up to PREVENT knee pain. For a more in-depth and individualized assessment and treatment of your knee pain, myself or anyone of our amazing physiotherapists at SPEAR is happy to see you to ensure knee pain doesn’t stop you from reaching your full potential!

Hip Strengthening / Hip Muscle Activation Exercises:

Glute Bridgeà Level 1:

• Lay on back with arms by sides, feet flat on floor
• Squeeze bottom, lift bottom off floor and squeeze and hold 3-5 sec at top
• Repeat 10-15 repetitions, 2 sets

Single Leg Glute Bridgeà Level 2 (Progression of above):

• Lay on back with arms by sides, 1 foot flat on floor, opposite leg lifted
• Squeeze bottom and push weight through heel of foot on floor, keeping hips level throughout
• Squeeze and hold 3-5 secs at the top- slowly lower to the floor
• Repeat 10-15 repetitions, repeat 2 sets each side

Single Leg Balance Romanian Deadlift:

• Start with feet shoulder width apart
• Hinge forward at the hip (try not to round low back)
• Reach opposite arm toward standing leg- try not to keep hips level
• Slowly stand to upright position
• Repeat 10-15 times each side. Repeat 2 sets.