04/26/2019
I am still Shocked at the Personal Trainers who Still Teach all Three of these Exercises.
I Do Not .
As you read... check out my recommendations for what to do instead of these.
3 Common Exercises That Are Actually Harmful For Your Knees
If you’re one of the 100 million Americans who struggle with knee pain, chances are you’ve tried countless exercises to try to bring some relief… And none of them have provided a real, lasting solution.
That’s because MOST “knee rejuvenation” exercises aren't effective… but it actually gets much worse than that.
There are exercises out there that are so problematic for your knees… that it’s surprising many trainers still recommend them.
Have you ever noticed that after trying a new physical therapy exercise, you’re in more pain than when you started? That’s a serious problem. These exercises have been used to deceive people for ages… but now the research and the facts have caught up, as you’ll see below.
No matter what, it’s important that you avoid these harmful exercises for your knees.
Below you'll find 3 common yet harmful exercises for your knees...
Please Avoid These Common Knee Exercises If You Struggle With Knee Pain
Exercise #1: Deep Squats
Squats are a movement-based exercise where all the pressure is being placed right at your knee as the hinge point. When your knees hurt, it means they are inflamed and may even have a deterioration of cartilage.
When you do a strenuous exercise like a squat, you aggravate the joint further, causing even more damage.
Exercise: Deep Squats
This is especially true if you go deep, like in a deep squat. You’re taking a bad idea and making it worse, because you’re forcing your knees to work extra hard to get your body back up to the standing position.
Why Are Deep Squats Bad If You Have Knee Pain?
Imagine your knee is a rubber band. Right now, your rubber band is damaged and weak. If you want to keep it from snapping, the absolute last thing you should do is strain it more!
That’s what a deep squat does. It stretches your knee joint way too far, putting more stress on the tendons and ligaments that hold the knee together. Look at the picture above and you’ll see the entire knee is completely stretched, which forces you to exert more force to stand back up. The results are detrimental, causing pain, discomfort and risking further injury.
{I teach Ball Squats, Band Squats ,Plie Squats.
Most people do not do a squat using the buttocks but instead do what I jokingly call a knee squat
Remember.... It is Butt Back...Butt Down...Butt Up....Butt In. All the while keeping the head and shoulders up.
And Remember...It is Impossible to do a perfect Squat without a front balance.}
Exercise #2: Alternating Lunges
Another classic exercise, lunges require tremendous stability in order to perform the movement, since you’re stepping out with one leg at a time. So not only is it a movement-based exercise like the deep squat, it also adds a second element of danger because it requires your stabilizer muscles to engage in order to perform the movement.
By doing this, even more force is placed in one knee, as opposed to distributing your weight to both knees. And even worse, when most people perform this exercise, their knee goes over their toe, knocking them out of further alignment.
Why Are Alternating Lunges Bad For Knees?
Do you remember the classic game Jenga? You would take turns moving pieces of a wooden tower around in an effort to keep the whole thing from falling over.
Exercise: Alternating Lunges
Warning: Knee Too Far Over Toe
Your body is like a Jenga tower. It needs a strong foundation in order to hold everything up. So when you move a critical piece at the bottom, your knees still need enough support to keep you from seriously hurting yourself.
And as someone who already experiences pain in your knees, that’s the last thing you need. By compromising your base with a lunge, you’re unable to balance yourself, which makes your knee go over your toe, straining the joint even more.
{I generally Don't like Lunges. Rarely can a person do them Correctly.. Any Lunge that is Moving...Like Walking Lunges or Lunges that step back or forward are Especially Dangerous. I do Like a Stationary Lunge. Position the front leg with knee bent so that the knee is Not in front of the Ankle. Then just Hold it there. Step back with the back leg and keep it there. Work only the Back leg. Dip the knee down and back up. Never move the Front leg.This is a fairly Safe Lunge}
Exercise #3: Full-Arc Knee Extensions
This exercise has slowed or destroyed the knee recovery process for millions of people. Why? Because it’s not just a dangerous exercise if you have bad knees, it’s dangerous for anyone who tries it.
If you are unfamiliar with full-arc knee extensions (lucky you), they are another movement-based exercise. Unlike the deep squat and alternating lunges, however, this requires the use of a piece of equipment in almost every gym or fitness center. You sit upright in the machine and extend your feet outward so that your legs are completely straight while keeping the rest of your body stationary.
Exercise: Full Arc Knee Extensions
The problem with this machine is that it pushes your knee past the point of comfort, then forces you to contract your quad to push the weight back up. The muscles in your quad are already in a stretched position, and when you try to tense the quad while it is in a fully stretched position, you’re asking for trouble!
It gets worse, because this exercise is often prescribed as a remedy for knee pain or a means to prevent knee injury, when it actually places dangerous torque on your knee joints. That’s because it pulls your shins back as you lower the weight, forcing your knee to bear the brunt of the load.
It also applies constant tension to the ACL (a major ligament in your knee), so it’s especially hazardous if you have a ligament injury.
Why Are Full-Arc Knee Extensions So Bad?
Imagine your body is a bridge with a broken section in the middle that needs repair. Would your solution be to isolate this area and put more strain on it? Absolutely not! Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the full arc knee extension forces your knees to do. It’s unhelpful, illogical, and it really, really hurtsI
{ I do not use gym equipment so do not have issue here It is easy to just sit in a chair and lift the legs one at a time with a weight attached to ankle..Make sue that the knee is in a straight line with the hip.Do not try to lift foot above the knee.}
I am certified as a Personal Trainer. Also in Pilates, Yoga for Adults and children, Also Sports Nutrition. Also have studies in Training for people with health issues and Advanced Age.
Call me at 865 660 9848 to see if you can fit into a group class like my Body Definition or if you are best suited in a private session.
