The knees are one of the largest and strongest joints in the human body, bearing the majority of our body weight. However, knee injuries are common, affecting both men and women of all ages.
Knee injuries come in various forms, including tendinitis, patellofemoral pain (commonly known as runner's knee), and bursitis, as well as ligament injuries such as ACL tears. These injuries can significantly impact your mobility and daily life, with the duration of impairment depending on their severity. While preventing injuries completely is not guaranteed, there are proactive exercises that you can do to reduce your risk.
Similarly to preventing all sports injuries, exercises to prevent knee injuries take on many forms and require a balance depending on your sport of choice.
If you're engaging in higher-level activities or sports like tennis or golf, incorporating a dynamic warm-up is beneficial. This may include walking quadriceps stretches, hamstring stretches, and figure-four stretches. Ensuring flexibility in the muscles surrounding the knee is crucial for injury prevention.
If your chosen activity or sport involves running or sprinting, consider making it a regular part of your weekly workout routine. Incorporating bounding, backward jogging, and skipping are effective ways to include higher-speed movements in your regimen, helping to build strength and stability while reducing the risk of knee injuries.
Building and maintaining strength in the muscles surrounding the knees is imperative for everyone for injury prevention. To build and maintain strength, incorporate exercises like squats, lunges, banded side-stepping, and even single-leg squats into your routine. If you're struggling to find the right level of difficulty, aim for fatigue without pushing yourself to failure.
Working on core strength is another important aspect of minimizing your risk of knee injury. Engage in exercises like side planks and front planks to effectively strengthen your core, providing essential stability and support for your knees.
If your sport involves frequent jumping, it is important to incorporate plyometric exercises into your workout routine. This may include exercises like box, forward and backward, or lateral jumps. These dynamic movements help condition the muscles and joints to withstand the demands of high-impact activities.
Integrate these exercises into your routine 2-3 times weekly for 20-30 minutes to lower the risk of a knee injury. Dynamic warm-ups, along with core and lower body strengthening, benefit individuals of all ages and activity levels. For those engaging in higher-level activities, consider also adding running drills and plyometrics. Ultimately, the goal is to keep the knee joint mobile, strong, and accustomed to the stresses that you will be placing on them while participating in your chosen activities.
Whether through sport-specific training or strength and conditioning the team of physical therapists at MAVEN can help you reduce your risk of knee injury with a tailored selection of exercises. No matter your level of physical activity, MAVEN has you covered. Book an appointment today!
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