Knee stability exercises probably aren’t top of mind when you hit the gym. But having stable knees is super important in a bunch of different scenarios — from running a marathon to climbing the stairs to squatting down to pick up a child — which means doing these types of moves on the reg is actually a really smart idea.
“Everybody could probably benefit from some sort of strengthening to improve stability of the knee,” Carrie Whitelam, a physical therapist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, said.
Thankfully, incorporating knee stability exercises into your gym routine is easier than you may think: We have three great examples right here, along with step-by-step instructions for weaving them into your workouts.
First though, what even is knee stability…and, um, why does it matter? Read on for all the must-know info.
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What exactly is knee stability?
Knee stability can encompass a lot of different things, but to boil it down, it’s “the ability to maintain alignment and positioning of your knee during movement and activity,” Whitelam said.
There are passive structures in the body that help with knee stability, which include certain ligaments, Whitelam explained — such as the ACL and MCL. And there are active structures that help out too, which include muscles such as the quads, hamstrings and hips, she added.
When it comes to knee stability, each of these muscles plays a slightly different role: The quads help straighten the knees, the hamstrings work to bend them, and the hips serve as the “steering wheel” that controls the position and alignment of the knees, Braidy Solie, a Minnesota-based physical therapist and strength and conditioning specialist with Training HAUS, said.
Basically, another way to think about knee stability is how well these three muscle groups work together to control the joint during movements like squatting, lunging, and stepping up, Solie said. During a squat, for example, you need all three players firing and coordinating with each other to complete the movement correctly and prevent your knee from collapsing inward.
Why does knee stability matter?
Having good knee stability isn’t just about squatting with perfect form. It also helps reduce our chances of knee pain and injury as we exercise, participate in sports, and move about our day-to-day.
That’s because when our knees are stable – which happens when the quads, hamstrings, and hips are all strong enough to do their job – our bones, cartilage, and other stabilising ligaments, like ACL or MCL, don’t have to take on extra stress, Solie said.
From a big picture perspective, good knee stability helps protect the joint as we perform a whole host of movements, which over the long haul, plays into our ability to stay independent and keep doing the activities that we love as we age.
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How to improve knee stability
One easy yet effective way to improve knee stability is to incorporate moves that target the main muscles that support knee stability: the quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
Specifically, moves that require the quads and the hamstrings to work together at the knee, and also involve the hip steering and maintaining alignment as the knee bends and straightens, are great “starter exercises” for better knee stability, Solie said. These types of movements “have a great crossover for helping build knee stability during functional things throughout the day, whether it’s carrying groceries up the stairs or carrying a child,” he explained.
Three exercises for better knee stability
Below are three exercises that Solie recommends for better knee stability: the step-up, forward lunge and lateral lunge.
These are common moves in many resistance training programs, so you may already be doing them regularly — in which case, great! But if not, give them a whirl in a mini circuit-style workout: Do the moves in the order listed below, performing each for 30 seconds and then rest 30 seconds before moving onto the next exercise. Repeat for three to four total rounds.
Once you’ve mastered good form and the moves feel easy, add external load (in the form of dumbbells or kettlebells, for example) to up the ante, Solie said. When you start using weights, he suggests switching the programming to three sets of 15 to 20 reps of each exercise. Over time, gradually increase your weight and decrease the number of reps to ensure your muscles are continually challenged, he said.
Important safety callout: If your knee has repeatedly buckled, if the kneecap has felt like it’s popped in and out of place, and/or if you feel unusual weakness around the joint, get checked out by a physical therapist or doctor before trying these moves, Whitelam said. “Sometimes there could be underlying damage that you’re unaware of that you could just be making worse” with movement, she explained.
1. Step-Up
- Stand in front of a sturdy box or step, hands at your sides and feet hip-width apart.
- Step onto your box with your left foot, then follow with your right foot. Pause for a moment when both feet are on top of the box, hip-width apart.
- With control, return your left foot to the floor, then step your right foot to the floor to return to your starting position. Now repeat on the other side (meaning, the right leg steps up onto the box first). This is 1 rep.
- Continue this pattern, alternating sides.
Solie is a big fan of this exercise because it encourages you to proactively stabilise your knee. When you place your foot on top of the step, “you’re pre-positioning your limb in the position that you want to maintain” throughout the movement, he explained. Make sure your knee stays in line with your foot the whole time — don’t let it cave inward.
2. Forward Lunge
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips (as pictured) or hold them together in front of your chest. This is the starting position.
- Step forward (about 2 feet) with your right foot, and plant it firmly on the floor.
- Bend both knees to create two 90-degree angles with your legs. Your chest should be upright and your torso should be slightly forward so that your back is flat and not arched or rounded forward. Your right quad should be parallel to the floor and your right knee should be above your right foot. Your butt and core should be engaged.
- Push through your right foot to return to the starting position. Now repeat on the other side (meaning, your left leg steps forward). This is 1 rep.
- Continue this pattern, alternating sides.
The lunge is a little tricker than the step-up, Solie said, because it involves taking a step forward and then controlling the knee as you decelerate. If you’re having trouble keeping your knee stable here (i.e. it’s wobbling side to side a lot), regress to a squat.
Once you’re comfortable with the lunge, though, Solie suggested doing it two different ways to incorporate more variety in your routine: One version of the lunge where your torso is vertical, which will really emphasise your quads, and one where you hinge slightly forward at the hips, which will load your glutes more. You can do these iterations on different days or the week, or incorporate them both into one workout, he said.
3. Lateral Lunge
- Stand with your feet together and your hands on your hips. This is the starting position.
- Take a big step (about 2 feet) out to the left. When your foot hits the floor, hinge forward at the hips, push your butt back, and bend your left knee to lower into a lunge.
- Pause for a second, and then push off your left leg to return to the starting position. Now repeat on the other side (meaning, step out to the side with your left leg). This is 1 rep.
- Continue this pattern, alternating sides.
The lateral lunge is perhaps the trickiest of these three exercises, Solie said. That’s because it involves the knee moving forward and backward as your body and centre of mass moves sideways, which requires “a lot more coordination,” he explained. As you do your reps, make sure you’re maintaining good posture and don’t let your knee cave in, your trunk sway, or your hip pop out to the side at the bottom of the lunge, Solie said. Make it easier by doing static lateral lunges, where instead of stepping your foot in and out, you start with it out and do lunges without lifting it off the ground.
This article originally appeared on SELF.
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