A Powerful Knee Pain Exercise – The Split Squat Sagittal Plane

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. If you want to learn more about that then we covered it HERE.

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

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.

More Knee Pain Exercise Here

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.