Yoga To Please Your Knees!
Help your knees enjoy hikes and stairs, with these suggestions from Pain Specialist Ginny Hamilton.
Almost everyone is thrilled that nice weather has finally arrived. Everyone, it seems, except for our knees. As we get out and get moving, many people find knee pain common. If your knees hurt more getting off your bike, descending from a hike, or simply coming down stairs, you’ll be interested to learn how gentle thigh stretching can take the pressure off of your knees.
The muscles on top of our thighs, our quads, are notoriously strong. Whether climbing a mountain or a staircase, our quads shorten, or contract, to lift our legs. Descending a mountain or staircase requires our legs not only to straighten, but to reach down to the next step. Compact, strong quads have a hard time extending themselves. When they pull on your knee joints, you may feel the resulting pain in or below your knees. Thankfully, there are simple stretches that can help.
Ask Nancy Carvahlo, age 62 of South Hadley. She’ll happily tell you what a difference she feels – or doesn’t feel – in her knees when she stretches. Nancy dealt with persistent knee pain for years, but didn’t let it stop her from daily 2 mile walks, seasonal bike rides, and multiple yoga classes each week. Following my suggestion, Nancy started stretching her quads multiple times a day. “It was a very slow process to get into stretching my quads.” Nancy says. “But I kept plugging along. After about two weeks, I realized I no longer had to get out of bed to apply topical pain reliever on my knees as I had always done before. If I am not diligent with the exercises, the tightness comes right back.”
Try these gentle stretches to train your quads to be longer over time. Your knees will sing your praises.
There are many ways to stretch your quads (the muscles on the tops of your thighs). Here are three variations – use the ones that are comfortable for you. In all of these versions, aim for the stretch in the middle of your thigh, not pulling right at your knee. For these stretches to have a lasting benefit for your knees, hold each gentle stretch for 30 seconds – 1 minute at a time and do them 5-6 times each day.
1. FLAMINGO QUAD STRETCH
This works well IF it is comfortable for your knee and your shoulder. Bend your knee and grasp your foot behind you with one hand. Keep knees close together to focus the gentle stretch in the middle of your thigh. Hold for 30 seconds – 1 minute in a gentle, comfortable stretch.
2. KNEELING POSITION
If you can kneel comfortably, kneeling position allows you to stretch both quads at once. Pad your knees with a blanket or carpeting. Lean back slightly until you feel a gentle stretch in the middle of your thighs. Hold for 30 seconds – 1 minute in a gentle, comfortable stretch.
3. KNEELING POSITION (ON CHAIR)
If kneeling on the floor is uncomfortable, use a padded chair instead. Rest one shin on the seat of the chair with your knee slightly forward of the seat. Gently press your shin into the chair and stand tall to find a gentle stretch the front thigh of the bent leg. Hold for 30 seconds – 1 minute. If you find it hard to balance, hold onto a tall chair or the wall for support, so you can focus on stretching.
This column originally ran in the Daily Hampshire Gazette on June 17, 2019, as part of Ginny’s Problem Solving Stretches column in the Health section.
Pain specialist, yoga instructor, and Reiki Master practitioner Ginny Hamilton teaches simple & proven techniques to release pain & restore energy in the workplace, group classes & private sessions
Her own experience with chronic neck and shoulder pain led her to study the techniques she now teaches to others. She received her certification through Bo Forbes’ Mind-Body Yoga Teacher Training and is an ongoing student of yoga master Arthur Kilmurray. She studies Reiki with Haleya Priest at Pioneer Valley Reiki and is currently pursuing certification in Integrated Positional Therapy Bodywork with Lee Albert at the Kripalu Center.