Your knees are your powerhouses. They are essential to support all your outdoor (and indoor) activities. But, often, you forget how crucial they are to all that running, climbing, and biking until they’re in pain. And I will say this: Knee pain is real.
My knee issues have kept me from snowboarding, skiing, skateboarding and trail running. It’s frustrating, especially when you feel like you don’t know how to get your pain back under control. Here’s where I hope to help: These five mobility moves will help return your knees to their pristine state.
Why does mobility work reduce knee pain?
In most cases, knee pain is caused by stiffness above and below the joint. When stiffness restricts one joint, your body will compensate elsewhere. Subsequent movements put more stress on the knee and surrounding ligaments, causing, you guessed it, pain.
If you combine this stress with repetitive impact-based sports, such as running, hiking or skiing, you run a much higher risk of sustained knee pain or injury. However, you can manage this stiffness and hopefully avoid those aches through targeted mobility work.
Mobility work improves blood flow to the targeted region and helps release tight tissues. After consistently practicing these types of exercises, you’ll likely find that your body no longer overcompensates for that stiffness in other areas. Without mobility work, you are gambling with an endless adventure in potential pain.
It’s helpful to think of mobility as a vitamin of movement, because just like supplements, this type of work encourages your body to function as it should. If you want to reap the full benefits of mobility exercises, you should make an effort to exercise on a daily basis.
It doesn’t have to be overwhelming or time consuming. Rather, I encourage you to take small one- to five-minute movement breaks throughout your day instead of longer 15- to 30-minute sessions. Your knees will thank you.
5 mobility exercises for knee pain
1. Loaded adductor rock
What does he do:
The adductors are the inner thigh muscles that help stabilize the hips and knees. When your adductors are stiff, they pull your pelvis out of alignment, which can lead to knee, hip and back pain.
How to do it:
Position yourself in a semi-kneeling position. Your front leg should form a 90 degree angle. Make a 90-degree angle with your back leg, moving it out to the side so it’s perpendicular to your front leg. Once your hips are open, tuck your tailbone and squeeze your glutes as you move sideways to your front knee. Guide the knee over the toes keeping the heel glued to the floor. Hold this position for 3 seconds before engaging your core and coming back up. Try to do 5 to 10 reps on each side.
2. Lifting with 90/90 internal rotation
What does he do:
You use the internal hip rotators when hiking, running, lifting, walking, and biking. As a result, when the deep internal rotators of the hip are stiff and weak, the pelvis cannot move properly, causing pain and dysfunction that can present as knee pain. The 90/90 lifts will help increase both the strength and range of motion in your hips to help build healthy knees.
How to do it:
Position yourself in a sitting position with both legs at a 90 degree angle. Sit tall along your spine as you press your hands into the floor for support. Focus on driving your back knee into the ground as you lift your back heel. Flex your rear toes toward your rear shin. Lift your back ankle for 3-5 seconds. Imagine pushing it against a brick wall. Slowly lower it. Try to do 5 to 10 reps on each side.
3. Loaded ankle rock
What does he do:
A common cause of knee pain is lack of mobility in the ankle. This movement increases the range of motion in the ankle joint. When that joint’s range of motion is limited, excessive force is placed on the knee, causing discomfort.
How to do it:
Get into a semi-kneeling position. Keep your front heel down as you push your knee forward over your toes. If you can’t extend your knee over your toes, move it within a painless range of motion that feels comfortable. Hold this position for 5 seconds. To carry this exercise forward, place a weight on your front quadriceps as you move forward for 5 seconds. Try to do 5 to 10 repetitions on each side.
4. High pigeon rotation
What does he do:
The pigeon spin is a great move to open up your hips and spine. Narrow hips cause the pelvis to move out of alignment, which can alter the way the knee works, putting undue stress on the knee joints. This move will help increase the outward range of motion in the hips and stabilize the pelvis.
How to do it:
You can perform this move on the floor or on a box, chair, or bench. Stand with your right leg at a 90 degree angle on top of a box. Extend upright through the spine. Grab the edge of your box with your left hand for leverage, as you twist and reach your right arm behind you. Contract the core as you rotate, allowing your eyes to follow your fingertips. Aim for 10-15 reps on each side.
5. Sofa stretch
What does he do:
This movement can help reduce stiffness through the hips and quadriceps. Also, it’s a good test for knee flexion and hip extension. If you have trouble getting into this position, keep practicing this move to build your mobility or pull your leg away from the wall to modify.
How to do it:
You will need a box, sofa or wall to practice this exercise. Begin in a semi-kneeling position, with a pillow under your back knee for support. Slowly drive the shin of the back towards the buttocks. At the same time, push your knee back so it’s against the corner of the box, wall, or couch. Squeeze your gluteus abs as you lift your chest and come to a kneeling position with your front ankle directly below your front knee. Hold this position for 1 to 3 minutes. Repeat on each side.
#mobility #exercises #combat #knee #pain
