Strengthening the Knees

Each of us, at least once in our lives, has encountered problems in the joints, not to mention the usual crunching in the knees that occurs during exercise or walking up the stairs.

Experts put forward various versions of the origin of these problems: from genetics to insufficient warm-up. At the same time, some prohibit any load on the diseased joint, others recommend it, and still others cannot say anything intelligible at all. However, everyone agrees that it is easier to prevent than to recover. Therefore, before performing any physical exercises that place more stress on the joints than usual, you need to strengthen these joints.

How do joints become stronger? Without going into a serious study of the anatomy and physiology of the joint (let’s leave this to the specialists), we can say that the well-being of the joint depends on the condition of the muscles and ligaments surrounding it. But if we work the muscles with various exercises in which they work and, as a result, become stronger, then how can we load the ligaments? The ligaments surrounding the joint will be strengthened if we do the exercise more slowly than usual, or, even better, if we hold it for 1-2 seconds. in the starting and final position of the exercise.

Today we will deal with the knee joints and do an exercise that very well solves the problem of strengthening the joint. To do this you will need a ball and a wall.

Position yourself so that your lower back is resting on the ball and the ball is resting on the wall. Place your feet shoulder-width apart under your outstretched elbows. Then take the starting position with your arms down. As you inhale, lower yourself down to a right angle at the knee joint, hold in this position for 1-2 seconds, and then, exhaling, rise up. Try not to push your knees forward or lift your heels, but keep all the muscles of your torso tense, maintaining balance. Do 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps. If you can't do 15-20 reps or your knees hurt, try doing fewer repetitions, gradually increasing them with each workout. If you want to increase the load, you can pick up a weight and also do squats.

This exercise not only strengthens the muscles and ligaments surrounding the knee joint, but also the muscles that form posture, however, this occurs under the condition that you try to tense the muscles of the torso while maintaining balance. But if you also place a small ball under one of your feet... but that’s another story.

Initial position

End position

Incorrect position