Achy knees?
You may need to strengthen your hips.
Do your knees ache sometimes?
If so, you are not alone.
Knee pain or discomfort is more common than you might think, especially for women.
In fact, women are more likely than men to experience knee pain and injury than men (it is estimated that more than 10 million women per year see their doctor about knee pain*!), likely due to the differences in our anatomy, hormones, biomechanics and even strength imbalances.
While regular exercise can help alleviate knee issues, focusing on specific exercises can be even more beneficial.
Strengthening the hip muscles (including the iliopsoas group, glutes, and adductors) has been shown to improve function and relieve knee pain.
One 2011 study found that out of a group of women with patellofemoral pain syndrome (pain in the front of the knee or under the kneecap, which is a common condition women are more likely to experience than men), participants who did four weeks of hip strengthening exercises had 43% less pain (than those who focused only on quadriceps strength work).
Stronger hips may not resolve all knee pain (which is why it’s so important to seek treatment from a qualified professional if you do experience pain regularly), but strengthening the hip muscles may help to improve knee support and functionality, making it an excellent idea for longevity and pain prevention.
The great news is that many of our workouts include hip strengthening (and other targeted strength work for knee-supporting muscles). Our “Build: Lower Body Detail” session here features strengthening exercises that work deep into the hips and other often-overlooked muscles (such as the piriformis). (Note: if you do experience knee pain, some of these movements may need to be adjusted or skipped—use the forward/back buttons to quickly skip ahead to the next exercise anytime.)
Our entire “Build” program, available exclusively with our membership, is designed to help you build supportive strength (no matter how long you have been training!) to enhance and improve all of your movement, both in and out of your workouts.
*If you do experience knee pain regularly, please be sure to see a medical professional who can expertly diagnose the root cause of your pain and provide you with a personalized treatment plan.
I experienced knee pain and learned from a great physical therapist. How to strengthen my glute muscles to take the pressure off the knees. It took a long time for my knee to get better and now it is great again, but I believe it’s true that we pay too much attention to our quads. IWe need to counterbalance with more glute work.