One of the Best Exercises to Help your Knee Pain
There comes a point in time when your knee pain puts a hold on life. You can’t go to the gym without worrying if your knees will give way. You can’t bend down to pick your kids up off the ground. Just a short walk to the shops is a struggle.
At the ProSport clinic, we have helped hundreds of patients with knee pain. In fact, it is probably one of the most common reasons people step through our practice doors. But the truth is, most people don’t believe they can beat it. They don’t remember a pain-free life.
Well, if that knee pain is stopping you from doing something, if you can’t remember a life without it, if you’re desperate to get back to the gym, then there is a way out.
Today I want to share one of the most simple and powerful knee pain exercises that can begin your journey to a pain-free life.
What Is Causing That Knee Pain?
Most people don’t think about what could be causing their knee pain. Trust me, even I’ve done that in the past. You’re just in pain, why would you be bothered about the inner workings of the knee, leg, toes, or feet?
There are many different causes of knee pain, and it would be impossible for me to say that yours is caused by this or that without running through a full assessment. But there is one cause of knee pain we see in the ProSport clinic more than any other.
This happens when the knee is overloaded. It puts more stress on the surrounding muscles or joint.
But for now, we are just going to take a look at a simple exercise designed to stop that knee from overloading.
Before You Start…
Before you even start doing any knee exercises you have to understand one thing. Often, just one exercise won’t solve your problem. I have seen hundreds of patients with knee pain and they have tried everything. Every single exercise or stretch you could think of.
The reality is, it’s going to be far more beneficial to see a healthcare professional that can provide real medical advice. We all want to solve our own problems but sometimes this can do more harm than good. Only a therapist, GP, or healthcare professional can provide medical advice, a full assessment, and a treatment plan.
Now, just one more thing before we dive into this exercise. If you are trying this, and there is any pain brought on by the exercise, stop immediately. If it isn’t part of your treatment plan then don’t risk it.
So here we go…
The Split Squat Sagittal
This exercise is called the split squat sagittal. Now, that may sound a little intimidating but trust me, it is one of the easiest knee exercises to perform at home. No equipment, no weight lifting, no bench, no wall, just you.
So what are you doing? To begin with, you want to start with whatever leg you want to work on in front and the other leg slightly behind. This front foot is going to be taking most of the weight.
This is your starting position.
Relax Your Body
From your starting position, you want to completely relax your body. You should be slouched with your chin tucked to your chest.
Begin The Squat
From this position squat down, reach down to the floor, slowly bend the knee of your front foot, and let the weight shift back to the heel.
Coming Back Up
Once you’re at the bottom of the squat close to the floor you’re going to need to come back up. As you do come back up from the ground you want to shift forwards onto the middle of your foot and front of your foot until you are back standing.
Watch Full Demo Here
The Key To This Knee Exercise
At the ProSport clinic we know how easy it is to just go through the motions of knee exercises, that’s why we coach our patients through every step and it is why we write these blogs. Because the smallest of changes, a knee bent too much, or bending too quickly can make all of the difference.
So there are a few keys to this exercise.
Firstly, keep that chin down throughout the motion. It may feel strange at first because you want to look up but keeping your chin down will make sure you’re not using your lower back instead of the leg muscles we want to use.
The second key is, as you slowly lower down the knee should go forward but the weight is going towards the heel. As you lift back up you are pushing through the midfoot and forefoot until you are all the way up.
If you push through the midfoot and forefoot you shouldn’t snap the knee, you should be using the glutes, and muscles at the back of the hip.
Remember…
There is one important thing you need to remember. If you try this exercise or any other knee exercises and it brings on more pain, then stop.
The truth is, no two cases of knee pain are the same. No two people will respond in the same way to the same exercises. That is why you should always seek someone who can provide medical advice.
At the ProSport clinic, our priority is the person. We know that treatment isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ kind of deal. We look at the patient first, we assess, and we create a bespoke treatment plan to fit around your daily life.
We don’t just get rid of the pain, we make sure it doesn’t come back, providing support and quality care along the way.
Don’t Struggle On With Your Knee Pain
Your health can often take a back seat. With busy lives and schedules, it’s easy to neglect the one thing that should be the most valuable.
But if your car broke down, you’d struggle to get to work, you couldn’t take the kids to school, you couldn’t go on that trip you have planned. So you’d get it fixed right? Well, it’s about time we all do the same thing with our health.
If you’re still suffering, if you’re missing out on the activities you used to love, don’t keep struggling. Click the button below, book your appointment and start your journey today.
Do you feel held back when it comes to running?
You want to run faster for longer but feel like your body is the only thing holding you back….
You may have already searched the web for the next best exercise that will increase strength and stamina. But the secret is behind the efficiency of the way your body moves.
Step One: Interval training
Interval training is a method of training that allows your body to work at higher levels of intensity for shorter periods of time followed by a rest or active rest period.
The body is not normally designed for withstanding high levels of intensity for long periods.
Not many people out there can run a marathon at a sprint pace.
So interval training allows the body to meet higher levels for shorter periods to prepare the body for performing higher intensities.
The benefit behind interval training is that you can do it anywhere and you can also adapt it to suit yourself.
You could sprint for 20 seconds followed by jog for 1 minute or sprint for 30 seconds followed by a steady walk for a minute and a half, the choice is yours. This may alter depending on what goals you want to achieve.
The more you do the more the body will adapt to the demand of the exercise, The quicker the body will recover which means you can have less rest time and increase the amount of time you perform higher intensities at. This will in the long run enable you to maximise your running potential.
Step two: Have an appropriate plan/target in place
We’ve all been there at the start of the new year and we have set ourselves high expectations of being able to hit new fitness goals, whether it is weight loss, muscle gain, or being able to run a certain distance.
Sometimes we can be a tad too optimistic when setting these goals and they slowly become more and more unrealistic. It can be a bitter pill to swallow having to give up on this goal you have set yourself but it can also throw you off making any progress at all.
To see improvements in your running performance it is important firstly to note that progress needs to be made in small steps. This is what will keep you on track in the long run. The end goal needs to be realistic for you! Not for your running partner!
Set a goal you can achieve so you can continue to make progress and also maintain this progress.
Ask yourself:
- Is it specific to you?
- How are you going to track your progress?
- Are you able to continue this consistently?
- Do you believe you can achieve the goal you have set?
- Can you do this in the time you have set?
Step three: Improve form and efficiency of movement
You may already be aware that at Prosport Physiotherapy we emphasise the importance of being able to run efficiently. If you’re not putting enough load into one part of the body another area will pick up the slack. This is your body’s natural response and it is completely normal.
You could’ve experienced an ankle injury before in the past and now you might be struggling with pain in the knee or the hip or the back.
This is a very common presentation and this is why it is so important to ensure that we have a good understanding of your previous injuries.
The truth is, if you aren’t running efficiently it doesn’t really matter how much interval training or what equipment you have.
The last thing anyone wants in the run up to a big event is to get injured, or to get injured as a result of running a big event.
Running without any muscular imbalances will ensure that you are at your best ability. Everything should do its job rather than other areas picking up the slack.
It is common for people not to experience any pain as a result of muscles overworking, however they are more susceptible to injury in the future.
It is important to also make sure that your body is able to maintain efficiency whilst at high intensity for long periods of time.
If you are interested in booking one of our running assessments to identify key areas that require strengthening please call us on 01484 443173 or email wecare@prosportphysio.com