As we get older most people start to realise that the knees are very susceptible to pain and injury. This fact is mirrored in the high number of knee operations which are performed each year. These knee problems if not caused by an accident or sports injury most often arise from a weakness in or an imbalance of the thigh muscles. The strength of the thigh muscles is very important to knee health however the muscles must be equally strong on the inside, outside and front and back of the thighs. Without this balance we are more likely to be placing excessive weight on the joint causing strain and potential damage to the cartilage, tendons and ligaments.
In standing poses the general rule is that the knee should always line up with the centre of the foot which is usually the space between the 2nd and 3rd toes. The way to test your alignment is to stand in front of a full length mirror in the Mountain Pose and slowly bend your knees to 45 degrees watching that they do not move out of alignment.
The knee joint should always be supported while standing by keeping a ‘lift’ in the thigh muscles. To understand how to lift your thigh muscles sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Now try to lift your heels up off the floor. You will notice your thigh muscles tensing. Keeping the thigh muscles lifted like this will help to stop degeneration of the knee joint.
To make sure the thigh muscles are strengthening evenly practice the following exercise daily:
Wall-supported Chair Pose
You will need a stable wall and a yoga block or thick book.
1. Stand with your back to a wall and your feet hip distance apart and about 20 cm away from it.
2. Press your lower back into the wall, lift your spine and slowly bend your knees as you slide your back down the wall.
3. Judge how far you can comfortably bend your knees and check that your knees are correctly aligned. You can raise back up and move your feet further away or closer to the wall if you need to so that the ankles stay under the knees while bent.
4. Now raise back up and place a block or thick book between your thighs and slide down the wall again. Press into the block with your thighs this will strengthen both the outer and inner thigh muscles.
5. Hold the pose for 5 or more breaths. As you strengthen up you will be able to slide down further and hold the pose for longer.
