There are so many people out there that have sore knees. We get pain in our knees because of chronic use and degeneration as well as acute, sudden injuries. No matter the reason, the most important rehabilitation is stabilization. You can begin stabilizing the knees once the swelling and pain is almost gone (if there was any).
Stabilization means that all the muscles that affect the knee are coordinated in working together for control, as well as the ligaments in the knee being strong enough to keep the knee still. Think of stabilization as guide wires. As we move about our day, or pivot and twist in a game, we have ligaments and muscles to stop the knee from over rotating or sliding too far forward. When your knee is unstable, you are in jeopardy of this happening and causing further damage.
An important part of stabilization training is correct technique. First, when doing any lunging or squatting, your knee needs to stay in line with your second toe (your big toe being the first). You also must insure that your knee does not go farther than your shoe laces in a forward position. It is, in fact, your glutes that control the position of your knee. The bone at the top of the knee joint, the femur, is also the main bone in the hip. So it would make sense to make sure your glutes are strong and active in order to keep good knee alignment.
Check out the following exercises for knee stability. Check in with a certified strength coach (or personal trainer) for supervision if needed. Email me (jenmark@dynamicliving.me) for any questions or concerns you many have with these exercises.
2 leg squat
1 leg squat
Clam press
2 leg bridge
1 leg bridge
1 leg deadlift
stork stance
foam roll quads
foam roll glutes
foam roll IT Band
Jen Mark BSc., CSCS, CAT(C)
www.dynamicliving.me
@jenkmark
Facebook
jenkmark 