Are you someone who is dealing with knee and hip pain?

Most people will, at some point, have knee or hip pain because these large joints have a demanding task: they bear the full weight of your body while at the same time allowing for a wide range of motion.

Strong muscles around a damaged knee or hip can help support a joint by taking over some of its responsibilities. For example, your hips will have a much easier time supporting your body weight if your quadriceps, gluteals, hamstrings, and abdominal muscles are well balanced and strong. 

When your quadriceps (front of thigh)and hamstrings (back of thigh) are strong and balanced, they can take over much of the shock-absorbing role so that the meniscus or cartilage in the knee is not stressed as much. The proper balance of good alignment and strength in these muscles can hold the joint in the least painful position. With any knee or hip problem, the first muscles to lose strength tend to be the largest muscles—the quadriceps and gluteals—so an exercise plan for any injury should definitely focus on them.

Muscles work in pairs: one contracts while the opposing one relaxes. For example, when you straighten your knee, your quadriceps on the front of your thigh contract, and the hamstrings on the back relax. Imbalances in the function of paired muscles can cause joint problems and result in injury. If your hamstrings are tight, your quadriceps can’t contract fully and may result in weakness, so exercise the quadriceps and hamstrings (opposing muscles) equally. This is why exercising in good alignment and control is so important.

If you have knee or hip problems, choose your exercise carefully. Running or fast walking on hard sidewalks or pavement creates stress on joints. If you love these activities, try doing them on a track or treadmill and wear well-cushioned shoes to lessen the impact. Better still, consider classes or private lessons with us!  Checkout our special offers.

• Special One Time $140 Reformer Classes ($22 per class) and I private Session (52) $140
• New Client Intro Pilates Reformer Class $15

Visit our website: betterposturepilates.com to purchase and schedule classes