Knee stability exercises are probably not the most frequent thing in the gym. But a stable knee is extremely important in a bunch of different scenarios—from running to marathon climb the stairs to squatting down to pick up a child—which means that these types of moves are, as a rule, a very smart idea.
“Everyone would probably benefit from some sort of bracing to improve knee stability” Carrie Whitelam, PT, DPT, OCS, ATCphysical therapist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York tells SELF.
Fortunately, incorporating knee stability exercises into your gym routine is easier than you might think, with three great examples and step-by-step instructions for incorporating them into your workout.
First of all, what there is knee stability… and why does it matter? Read all the required information.
What exactly is knee stability?
Knee stability can include many different things, but at its core, it’s “the ability to maintain the alignment and position of the knee during movement and activity,” says Whitelam.
There are passive structures in the body that help stabilize the knee, including certain ligaments, Whitelam explains—like the ACL and MCL. And there are active structures that also help, which include muscles like the quads, hamstrings and hipsadds.
When it comes to knee stability, each of these muscles plays a slightly different role: the quads help straighten the knee, the hamstrings bend them, and the hips are the “steering wheel” that controls the position and alignment of the knees, says Braidy Solie, DPT, SCS, CSCS, a Minnesota-based physical and strength conditioning specialist. Training HAUSsays SELF.
It’s basically a different mindset knee Stability is how well these three muscle groups work together to control the joint during movements like squatting, lunging, and lifting, says Solie. During the squat, for example, all three players must fire and coordinate with each other to execute the movement correctly and prevent the knee from collapsing inward.
Why is knee stability important?
Good knee stability is not right now about squatting with perfect form. It also helps to reduce our chances knee pain and injuries as we exercise, play sports, and move around every day.
