Fortunately for us, the knee is a very mobile joint.
It takes us up, down, forward and back throughout each day.
Imagine your life if knees didn't bend! Inherent to this mobility, however, is the knee's instability, making it susceptible to injury.
Repetitive movement of aerobic and muscle-training exercise puts stress on joints.
(Keep reading, and don't let that last sentence motivate you to cancel your gym membership.
) Numerous and substantial health benefits of regular, well-balanced exercise far outweigh any skeletal risks for most healthy adults.
The key to keeping fit and injury-free is to perform exercises that strengthen muscles crossing over the knee, thus helping stabilize the joint.
Because the knee joint is complex, there are several types of knee injuries.
If you have a knee injury, consult your healthcare provider so you can recover effectively and efficiently.
In terms of injury prevention and decreased flare-ups, yoga can help.
Yoga is ideal for strengthening muscles without the repetitive impact characteristic of other exercise modalities.
Certain yoga poses directly target knee stability.
Below are two poses that you can do anytime, anywhere to avoid injury and keep you on track toward your fitness goals.
First, an anatomy tidbit.
Four muscles of the quadriceps extend along the front side of the thigh bone.
They meet at a tendon that crosses over the knee and attach to the lower leg.
The kneecap resides within this tendon, so the quadriceps muscle is responsible for correct alignment and tracking of the kneecap.
Three hamstring muscles extend from the pelvis and cross the back side the knee, also attaching at the lower leg.
Strong quadriceps and hamstrings support the knee joint.
Other muscles are involved, and knee stability is linked to hip stability, but for now we'll keep our focus on these two muscle groups.
Tree pose (Vrksasana, a one-leg standing balance) simultaneously generates force in the quadriceps and hamstrings.
Quadriceps shorten, pulling upward on the kneecap.
Hamstrings lengthen, keeping the hip and knee joints in alignment.
Chair pose (Utkatasana, essentially a squat held at the lowest position) requires force generation in all lower body muscles, including quadriceps and hamstrings.
In this pose, quadriceps lengthen, and hamstrings shorten.
A complete yoga practice (one or two classes a week) can perfectly balance your other fitness endeavors.
If this doesn't suit you, a few minutes anytime during your day will suffice.
Tree pose and chair pose are two great examples, but most standing poses that engage the leg muscles serve the same purpose.
How to do tree pose: Begin standing.
Shift your weight onto your left foot.
Place the right foot sole against the left inner calf with, or use your hands to bring the right foot up to the left inner thigh.
Right toes are pointing downward.
Avoid pressing the right foot into the left knee; go above or below.
Simultaneously open your right knee to the right and left hip to the left.
Root your supporting foot strongly into the floor, and lift the crown of your head to the ceiling.
Engage your abdominals by pulling your navel to your spine, and it is helpful to gaze at a focal point.
Hold for 3-5 breaths.
Come out of the posture repeat on the other side.
How to do chair pose: Begin standing with feet shoulder-width apart.
Bend your knees, lowering your hips into a squat position.
Tuck your tailbone slightly and squeeze the back of your thighs and inner thighs into the thighbones.
Pull your navel to your spine.
Feel strong and lengthened from the crown of your head drawing upward, and your tailbone drawing downward.
Hold for 3-5 breaths and repeat one or two more times.
It takes us up, down, forward and back throughout each day.
Imagine your life if knees didn't bend! Inherent to this mobility, however, is the knee's instability, making it susceptible to injury.
Repetitive movement of aerobic and muscle-training exercise puts stress on joints.
(Keep reading, and don't let that last sentence motivate you to cancel your gym membership.
) Numerous and substantial health benefits of regular, well-balanced exercise far outweigh any skeletal risks for most healthy adults.
The key to keeping fit and injury-free is to perform exercises that strengthen muscles crossing over the knee, thus helping stabilize the joint.
Because the knee joint is complex, there are several types of knee injuries.
If you have a knee injury, consult your healthcare provider so you can recover effectively and efficiently.
In terms of injury prevention and decreased flare-ups, yoga can help.
Yoga is ideal for strengthening muscles without the repetitive impact characteristic of other exercise modalities.
Certain yoga poses directly target knee stability.
Below are two poses that you can do anytime, anywhere to avoid injury and keep you on track toward your fitness goals.
First, an anatomy tidbit.
Four muscles of the quadriceps extend along the front side of the thigh bone.
They meet at a tendon that crosses over the knee and attach to the lower leg.
The kneecap resides within this tendon, so the quadriceps muscle is responsible for correct alignment and tracking of the kneecap.
Three hamstring muscles extend from the pelvis and cross the back side the knee, also attaching at the lower leg.
Strong quadriceps and hamstrings support the knee joint.
Other muscles are involved, and knee stability is linked to hip stability, but for now we'll keep our focus on these two muscle groups.
Tree pose (Vrksasana, a one-leg standing balance) simultaneously generates force in the quadriceps and hamstrings.
Quadriceps shorten, pulling upward on the kneecap.
Hamstrings lengthen, keeping the hip and knee joints in alignment.
Chair pose (Utkatasana, essentially a squat held at the lowest position) requires force generation in all lower body muscles, including quadriceps and hamstrings.
In this pose, quadriceps lengthen, and hamstrings shorten.
A complete yoga practice (one or two classes a week) can perfectly balance your other fitness endeavors.
If this doesn't suit you, a few minutes anytime during your day will suffice.
Tree pose and chair pose are two great examples, but most standing poses that engage the leg muscles serve the same purpose.
How to do tree pose: Begin standing.
Shift your weight onto your left foot.
Place the right foot sole against the left inner calf with, or use your hands to bring the right foot up to the left inner thigh.
Right toes are pointing downward.
Avoid pressing the right foot into the left knee; go above or below.
Simultaneously open your right knee to the right and left hip to the left.
Root your supporting foot strongly into the floor, and lift the crown of your head to the ceiling.
Engage your abdominals by pulling your navel to your spine, and it is helpful to gaze at a focal point.
Hold for 3-5 breaths.
Come out of the posture repeat on the other side.
How to do chair pose: Begin standing with feet shoulder-width apart.
Bend your knees, lowering your hips into a squat position.
Tuck your tailbone slightly and squeeze the back of your thighs and inner thighs into the thighbones.
Pull your navel to your spine.
Feel strong and lengthened from the crown of your head drawing upward, and your tailbone drawing downward.
Hold for 3-5 breaths and repeat one or two more times.
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