It's been an interesting challenge to read 1 expert article per day these 2 weeks. There's such a wealth of information here on FB, yet it's always not easy to remember to take the time to stop and read. Since they now can be scheduled and marked as completed, it's easier to remember and to make reading expert articles a part of the daily self-care routine. An article only takes a few minutes to read, and the "Notes" feature comes in handy for jotting down ideas or follow-ups sparked during reading. :)
Knee Valgus is when the knees are not in alignment, more specifically, they are inward compared to the line of the hip and ankle. This misalignment affects the foot in over-pronation and poor arch support, plantar fasciitis, and the hip and low back in SI joint issues, tilted pelvis, and tight hip flexors. Due to the excessive wear and tear of the joint, it also can cause injuries to the knee joint, meniscus, and ligaments. Other associated issues are patellofemoral syndrome, IT band syndrome, and osteoarthritis.
Kayla talks about some of the causes of knee valgus, including impared mobility or weakness of the hip or ankle, in particular the glute medius - an important stabilizing muscle for the pelvis, and other hip abductors. While those muscles are weak, often the opposing muscles of the inner thigh/groin are stronger, contributing to the misalignment. Along w/ limitations of the hip, limited mobility and weakness in the foot and ankle can also contribute to knee valgus. Women are more prone to developing knee valgus due to anatomical differences of the pelvis as well as looser ligaments.
Kayla concludes the article w/ some tips for preventing knee valgus:
1) Pay attention to knee position during motion,
2) Always use proper form when lifting (personally, not only paying attention to knee placement, but also using a light resistance band at the knees to remind them not to collapse inwards is helpful, as is Amanda's form cue to "push the floor away" during squats, side steps, and other similar exercises),
3) Enage the core to help prevent discomfort or injury related to knee valgus,
4) Increase ankle and hip ROM/mobility,
5) Strengthen the hip abductors.
And then she gives specific exercises which can help, keeping in mind core engagement, proper form, and knee position:
- Clamshells,
- Banded Side Steps,
- Side-Lying Lateral Leg Raises,
- Fire Hydrants,
- Squats (including ski, sumo, and curtsey)
These are all exercises that I've been focusing on in the past year as part of injury rehabilitation, not realizing that the weaknesses which contributed to the injury were related to knee valgus, something I've had since early teens. This article gives good food for thought and helpful tips for working on correcting knee valgus and its related issues.
Along w/ all the great Pilates workouts here, which target the glutes and hip abductors, wouldn't it be really cool if Kayla made a short DPT-based knee valgus routine for us w/ of all these exercises combined into a single, knee valgus focused workout? :)
With the challenge having come to a close, I plan to incorporate expert article reading into the regular workout schedule to help strengthen muscle of the mind along w/ the rest of the body's muscles. :)
So, how was your expert article reading experience overall? Any takeaways?
2 Week Daily Expert Article Challenge - Complete!
It's been an interesting challenge to read 1 expert article per day these 2 weeks. There's such a wealth of information here on FB, yet it's always not easy to remember to take the time to stop and read. Since they now can be scheduled and marked as completed, it's easier to remember and to make reading expert articles a part of the daily self-care routine. An article only takes a few minutes to read, and the "Notes" feature comes in handy for jotting down ideas or follow-ups sparked during reading. :)
I ended the 2-week reading challenge w/ one of the latest expert articles: "Helpful Exercises for Knee Valgus" by Kayla - https://www.fitnessblender.com/articles/helpful-exercises-for-knee-valgus - since this topic is personally relevant.
Knee Valgus is when the knees are not in alignment, more specifically, they are inward compared to the line of the hip and ankle. This misalignment affects the foot in over-pronation and poor arch support, plantar fasciitis, and the hip and low back in SI joint issues, tilted pelvis, and tight hip flexors. Due to the excessive wear and tear of the joint, it also can cause injuries to the knee joint, meniscus, and ligaments. Other associated issues are patellofemoral syndrome, IT band syndrome, and osteoarthritis.
Kayla talks about some of the causes of knee valgus, including impared mobility or weakness of the hip or ankle, in particular the glute medius - an important stabilizing muscle for the pelvis, and other hip abductors. While those muscles are weak, often the opposing muscles of the inner thigh/groin are stronger, contributing to the misalignment. Along w/ limitations of the hip, limited mobility and weakness in the foot and ankle can also contribute to knee valgus. Women are more prone to developing knee valgus due to anatomical differences of the pelvis as well as looser ligaments.
Kayla concludes the article w/ some tips for preventing knee valgus:
1) Pay attention to knee position during motion,
2) Always use proper form when lifting (personally, not only paying attention to knee placement, but also using a light resistance band at the knees to remind them not to collapse inwards is helpful, as is Amanda's form cue to "push the floor away" during squats, side steps, and other similar exercises),
3) Enage the core to help prevent discomfort or injury related to knee valgus,
4) Increase ankle and hip ROM/mobility,
5) Strengthen the hip abductors.
And then she gives specific exercises which can help, keeping in mind core engagement, proper form, and knee position:
- Clamshells,
- Banded Side Steps,
- Side-Lying Lateral Leg Raises,
- Fire Hydrants,
- Squats (including ski, sumo, and curtsey)
These are all exercises that I've been focusing on in the past year as part of injury rehabilitation, not realizing that the weaknesses which contributed to the injury were related to knee valgus, something I've had since early teens. This article gives good food for thought and helpful tips for working on correcting knee valgus and its related issues.
Along w/ all the great Pilates workouts here, which target the glutes and hip abductors, wouldn't it be really cool if Kayla made a short DPT-based knee valgus routine for us w/ of all these exercises combined into a single, knee valgus focused workout? :)
With the challenge having come to a close, I plan to incorporate expert article reading into the regular workout schedule to help strengthen muscle of the mind along w/ the rest of the body's muscles. :)
So, how was your expert article reading experience overall? Any takeaways?