Why is my Knee STILL niggling?

So you're exercising regularly, but what are you doing?

Running, cycling, weight training, maybe even a circuits class? But STILL have knee trouble!

A lot of our knee pain is caused by something simple...

• Tightness - The Quads are a very strong group of muscles. If these are tight they can put stress on your Knee joint, even sometimes making your Knee Cap sit slightly off its optimal position, causing pain with certain movements.

 

• Imbalance - Maybe you overload your Quads and don't do enough Hamstring work to balance it out? This means the forces in your knee aren't balanced, and the Knee joint suffers as a result.

 

• Too much impact - We know that running is great for health and fitness, but are you pounding the pavements and doing nothing else? Mixing up your workouts will not only positively impact your fitness, and keep exercise fun, but can work wonders for your Knees!

 

• Glutes! - Yes, Glutes and Knees are linked! If your Glutes are weak, they cannot control your hip and knee position when exercising. For example; lunges with weak Glutes can cause your knee to move inwards, causing stress on the joint.

SO ... what can you do?

1.
STRETCH - simple stretches before and after a workout. Take a few minutes to stretch the Quads, Hamstrings and Glutes.

2.
MASSAGE / FOAM ROLLING - help to reduce tightness and tension, therefore reducing any pulling on the knee. Can't bear to use the foam roller, or can't quite do it right? Book a Sports Massage!

3.
BALANCE YOUR WORKOUT - make sure you are training BOTH Quads and Hamstrings, and STRETCHING both Quads and Hamstrings. Get some advice from a Sports Therapist or Personal Trainer if you are struggling.

4.
GET OFF THE ROAD - mix up your running/cycling with a gym session, or even a banded or bodyweight workout at home! Target the muscles around the knee, but get some hip and core exercises in there too.

5.
WORK THEM GLUTES! - adding a band in to your usual exercises can help to activate the Glutes. Squat with a band around your knees, crab walk side to side with a band around your Knees... simple changes that can target the Glutes and reduce stress on the Knee.