I wanted to show you the best tips for running without knee pain.
CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.
1. Rolling Out the Quads
Use a foam roller for about a foot wide. Place it on the floor then lie down on it. Roll from above the knee joints to below the hips. Repeat the movement.
Rolling Out the Quads
Start with one set of 10 reps. Rolling up and down is 1 repetition. Perform this exercise in smooth, controlled movement throughout the muscles. The intensity will depend on the person. It can be light to moderate or hard for the sensitivity.
This exercise focuses on the muscle tension in the quads. A lot of time when you run, the muscle gets tight and doing a stretch is not effective. We need to do a self-massage to decrease the tension. Decreasing the tension in the muscle allows us to target it better. It decreases the pull it has on the knee joints and that decreases knee pain.
2. Clamshell Exercise
Lie on your side on the floor and rest your head on one arm. Straighten out your legs then bend your knees for about 90 degrees. Separate your knees then bring them together. Work on keeping your hip in vertical.
Clamshell Exercise
Start with one set of 5 reps on each side. Perform this exercise in smooth, controlled movement with a good contraction at the top position. The intensity can be light to moderate.
This exercise targets the gluteus medius, which often is the muscle that runners have poor activation, endurance and strength. We want to target this muscle so that the outer part of the hip will be strong and help to decrease knee pain.
3. Resistive Band Walking
Begin in a nice, upright standing position. Place the tubing underneath the arches of your feet and grab its handles. Bend in the knees and bend in the hips. Walk one leg to one side so that you get a tension, then follow the other leg so there will be a constant movement in the tubing.
When you bring one leg out to the side, it works concentrically on the outer part of the hip. When you follow the other leg, it works eccentrically on the outer part of the hip.
This a continuation exercise with the previous clamshell exercise which targets the gluteus medius related to the rotation of the knee. With this resistive band walking exercise, it targets more on the gluteus medius hip abduction when we bring the leg out to the side.
Resistive Band Walking
Start with one set of 5 reps on each way. Perform this exercise in smooth, controlled movement with a quick stop at the end position. The intensity can be light to moderate, depending on the endurance, activation and strength you have on the gluteus muscle.
4. Straight Leg Exercise
Lie on your back on the floor and put your arms to the side. Relax the upper body and have your toes are pointing straight ahead. Lift one leg for about 30 to 45 degrees, and then bring the leg back down. Repeat the movement.
If you have any sensitivity or irritation in the back, you can bend one knee to put your back into a better position. Then, lift one leg and work to strengthen the quad and the knee.
Straight Leg Exercise
Straight Leg with One Knee Bend
Start with one set of 5 reps on each side. Perform this exercise in smooth, controlled movement with a good stop at the end position. The intensity is light, and this is more of an activation exercise. This exercise targets the quad muscle and the hip.
Give these four exercises a go. They are my best tips for exercises to help you run without knee pain.
If you are looking for a fast, simple, safe, and effective program to eliminate your stubborn knee pain and patellofemoral syndrome, run without knee pain with Resistive Band Walking. ,then check out the Patellofemoral Syndrome Solution program, here!
Take care!
Rick Kaselj, MS
