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Two Key Exercises For Strengthening The Knee And Preventing Injury
By: Margaret Hofmann, MEd, ACE-Certified Personal Trainer |
This is a strength training tip for female athletes and their parents and coaches. The squat and the lunge are two critical exercises that should be in every girl’s exercise program to strengthen the legs, hips and core. The motions used in both of these exercises will strengthen the muscles and ligaments and tendons that surround the knee and help stabilize the joint, such as the thigh muscle (quads), hamstrings (back of the thigh), glutes (buttocks) and inner and outer thigh muscles (abductors and adductors). If done correctly these exercises will help ward off the potential for a serious knee injury. Female athletes are sustaining ACL knee injuries at alarming rates in comparison to boys in the same high risk sports. We should be training girls in the prevention of this serious knee injury. I would highly recommend that these be mastered at a young age by using only ones body weight, at a time when you start to play organized sports. As you get older and stronger then add external resistance such as holding a medicine ball or light dumbbells.
Beginners should start by performing 1 set of 8-12 repetitions per exercise, 2 times per week, a day of rest in between sessions. Intermediate and advanced exercises can perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions per exercise, 2-3 times a week, a day of rest in between sessions. Gradually increase weight with medicine balls and light dumbbells as you get older and stronger.
Exercise Descriptions:
The Squat: Start upright with feet hip width or wider, toes pointed forward or slightly turned out. Hands out in front or out to the sides for balance. First motion in the squat should be back. Move hips back and slowly descend into a squat. Act as if you are going to sit down in a chair. Keep chest up and chin up, no excessive rounded back or forward lean. Keep knees over the feet (no wobbly knees)and back behind the toes. Don’t take hips lower than the knees. Keep heels down. Push off heels to return to upright standing position. See photo below.
The Squat
The Lunge: Start upright, feet together, hands out to the sides for balance. Take a comfortable lunge forward, keeping toe pointed straight ahead and knee in line and over the foot, (no wobbly knee). Keep knee back behind the toes. Sit down in the lunge and drop knee of rear leg down close to the floor. Keep torso upright, chest up, chin up. Push back off heel of forward leg to starting position and repeat with the opposite leg. See photo below.
The Lunge
So, athletes, make sure these two critical exercises are a part of your strength training program. You will be surprised how much better you will be at your sport when your legs are strong, the knee is more stable and you are injury free and in the game instead of on the sidelines.
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