If a client has pain in their knees, hips or lower back (even their feet) then I routinely examine the buttock muscles to check the strength and how they function in general and sporting activities.
I’m particularly interested in the strength of the Gluteus Medius muscles (the buttock muscle found on the outer part of your hips). These muscles support your pelvis and stop your knee from rolling inwards when you walk and run. They are frequently weak or under active (lazy) resulting in poor movement patterns and the potential for overloading the soft tissues (ligaments and tendons) around the inside of your knee which might cause pain over time.
Improving strength in these muscles is a great idea of you enjoy walking or running for exercise and one of the best exercises to strengthen the Gluteus Medius is to practice squatting on one leg:
A good tip is to practice this exercise in front of a mirror to begin with, so you can see what your hip and knees are doing. Start with a 1/4 squat like I am demonstrating in this video, being really precise with your technique, up to 30 repetitions on each side once or twice a day.
If you find it difficult to control the position of your knee, then tying a resistance band around the outside of the knee and using it for feedback can be really helpful.
For more ideas about strength and conditioning exercises to prevent knee pain, take a look at this article:
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions at all,
The Physiofit Team