If you get knee pains after running or strength training, there’s a chance you’re like me – you have over-developed quads, weaker hammies, and hypermobile joints. Sounds fun eh?
Flexibility is fantastic but too much can lead to instability and injury.
Most of us think our hamstrings are tight, and believe hamstring stretches are key to keeping the back and knees healthy. To some degree, this is correct. But for many of us, hypermobility in the hamstring attachment can leave us susceptible to injuries. When I train my clients, I teach them to engage all of the muscles on the leg whenever a foot is planted in order to avoid hyperextension of the knee ligaments, which is what I consciously have to do all the time to protect my already vulnerable knees. Keeping the legs engaged is key to both protect the knee from serious injury in the long-term and treat pain in the short-term, and it will be better for the back than just squeezing the glutes.
Enter YOGA!
Yoga is not just for stretching. Overstretching it is probably what got me here in the first place LOL.
Yoga practice will lead to strength gains, too!
I’ve been working out for half my life, and while it has done wonders for my body and mind, it doesn’t come without some issues. From all the overuse and repetition, my knees have taken a beating. I have bakers cysts, loose knee caps, a small tear in the lateral meniscus…they just aren’t having it.
I’m not trying to scare you from exercising, I promote it! But with fitness being my profession and my training at a more athletic level than the majority of the population, I have to be extra careful with my training.
The good news is, with the strength, muscle, and flexibility I’ve built through weight lifting and yoga, I’m able to keep doing what I love, but a lot more mindfully. Whether you have the same issues as me or not, most of us are quad dominant. These muscles are massive and if imbalanced with the hamstrings, the antagonist muscles, can lead to knee pain, and other things!
These are 5 poses I swear by because ever since I started doing them daily, I’ve felt so much stronger in my knees, and I’m able to run and squat deeper with weights again, but of course, pacing myself and being super conscious of every step, every rep, and every breath, activating all the necessary muscles to keep the movement safe. I’m not perfect, but I’m making progress
I know balancing is hard, but let’s meet the challenge and become stronger! It can only do you good, not more harm- when done correctly.
You don’t have to do all 5 poses (the last 2 are more challenging). Pick 2-3 and practice daily if possible. Hold each posture for 5-10 long breaths and repeat on the other side.
Try these yoga poses to keep the hamstring engaged even when it is stretching. Even if you are not hypermobile in the hamstrings, you can benefit from strengthening this muscle group and learning not to lock out the knee (video and instructions photos below)
Contraindications: If you’re pregnant or have low back pain, take modifications and consult your doctor before beginning any exercise routine
1. Tree (Vrksasana)
- From standing, place one foot on the other leg, above or below the knee
- Stand upright, long spine, shoulders back and down, lift the heart
- Keep a level pelvis as you root down through the standing leg
- Press the foot gently into the thigh and vice versa
- Release the foot back onto the floor and switch sides.
2. Triangle with Arms Extended (Trikonasana)
- Start in a wide leg stance with your feet a few inches narrower than your wing span.
- Turn the right toes straight forward and the left toes angled in about 45 degrees.
- Reach the right arm forward over the right leg, as if someone is pulling you, allowing the hips to hinge back slightly, aiming to keep the right leg as straight as possible without locking the knee.
- Place the right hand on right shin, isometrically pressing the shin back into the hand.
- Sweep the left arm over the ear, palm turned down toward the ground.
- Press down through the right big toe, engaging the entire calf and lifting the hamstring and quadriceps as if you are trying to lift the knee cap.
- Engage and lift in the right rib cage.
- Once you feel stable, lift the right arm to meet the left, as if you are holding a beach ball between the hands.
- Stay here, engaging the legs, core and lifting the right side of the body and breathe.
- Release back to triangle, and engage the legs to lift up.
- Switch sides.
4. Pyramid with Superman Arms (Parsvottanasana)
- Start standing with the feet hips width distance apart.
- Step the left leg back about three to four feet (depending on your height and flexibility), turning the left toes out just a few degrees to ground the left heel and outside of the foot down
- Place the hands on the hips and square the hips and chest forward.
- Lengthen through the sides of the body, then hinge forward at the hips, aiming to keep the right leg as straight as possible without locking the knee.
- Press down through the right big toe, engaging the entire calf and lifting the hamstring and quadriceps as if you are trying to lift the knee cap.
- Engage the belly and low back to lift the trunk away from your front thigh, maintaining a half-fold in the body and lengthening the spine.
- Press down through the right big toe, engage all of the muscles in the right leg, then begin to sweep the arms back like airplane wings.
- Hold here, keeping the right leg engaged and the outer left heel grounded, breathe
- Release the hands to the floor or the blocks, and engage the legs to lift up.
- Switch sides.
5. Dancer (Natarajasana)
- From standing, bend your right knee with the heel coming towards bum, hold the right hand out like a server tray
- Reach back and grab the inside of the right foot, the arch
- Lift left arm towards the sky – stay here to breathe and steady your balance.
- If you feel steady, kick the right foot into the right hand as you hinge at the hip
- Keep hips squared, leg hugs in towards midline, keep the right foot kicking back, right thigh and knee lifting back and not out to the side
- Left hand starts to reach forward as you continue to kick right foot back and up
- Return to the centre and release the foot.
- Repeat other side
6. Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana III)
- From standing, hinge forward at the hip and extend the left leg back. The standing leg can stay bent for better balance.
- Keep the hips square to the floor, and your back foot and kneecap point to the floor
- Engage the shoulder blades and lengthen through the sternum (breast bone). Relax the neck and traps as the shoulder blades engage
- Keep stretching from the back heel to the crown of the head
- The standing leg is strong and firm, activating the glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves. Straighten this leg if you can
- Rotate the left hip towards the floor to keep the hips squared and avoid tilting
- Extend the arms out beside the ears while still keeping the engagement in the shoulder blades, or sweep them back like airplane wings. Breathe.
- Return to standing and repeat other side.
Sources:
Yoga Medicine 200hr Teacher Handbook – Tiffany Cruikshank
http://breakingmuscle.com/yoga/3-yoga-poses-to-strengthen-the-hamstrings-and-protect-the-knees
