Our activities can put some strain on our knees. At the end of a long hike, or maybe it was a bike ride, or maybe after working in the garden our knees can feel achy and sore. Grab a foam roller and try these 3 exercises to help bring some relief to your knees.
Do your knees need more love? There are 3 routines on the Koa Fit Online Platform for knee health and strength. Check them out here.
In the past few months, I was able to attend 2 workshops from Functional Range Systems. I am beyond impressed with this system and its ability to not only improve mobility, but push the upper limits of increasing strength. Due to the specificity of the system, the ability to make these gains can all be done with less volume and less stress on the body. It is the definition of working smarter.
All month long, I will be posting exercises and movements that utilize this system. This system has a high focus on the joint capsules. Try them out and let me know what you think.
In the first exercise, this non-relaxing version of a pigeon pose not only gets your hips open, but also strengthens them in your new found mobility so that they stay open.
Then, move on to some bridging with a ball to help strengthen your hamstrings. Strong hamstrings help support your knees and your low back. This exercise is great because it works the hamstrings in both a concentric (muscle shortening) and eccentric (muscle lengthening) way.
We are back to that back line! The hamstrings do so much to protect our knees. It is important that they stay mobile and strong.
This week we will focus on the function of the quad and hip flexors. We will start with a release of our hamstrings and create some space on the posterior part of the thigh so that we are able to fully engage the anterior part of the thigh.
This week, we will focus on the lower leg below the knee. By increasing the range of motion in the ankle, we can help take pressure off of the knees.
We are starting a month focused on knee health. A lot of the tweaks and discomfort felt across the top of the knee is due to increased tension put on the patellar tendon due to tight quadriceps. Use this first exercise to release some tension in the quads and free up some space for the patellar tendon.
Weakness in the lateral hip, specifically the glute medius, can also lead to pain on the sides of the knees. Use this exercise to strengthen the side of the hip and helps support the knees.
Try this quick and easy at-home exercises to strengthen your hips, knees, and ankles. Help support the knee joint and prevent injury by bringing more mobility and stability to your hips. Start with these 3 foam roller releases to get the legs moving correctly and then move into the 5 strength moves below to help bring stability to the knee joint and the lower kinetic chain.
Quad Rolling
IT Band Rolling
TFL/Hip Flexor Release
Hip Rotation
Bridge with Leg Raise
Dipping Bird
Squat
Long Lunge to Balance
Brenna Backe 