Your Core maybe causing your knee pain

When we are standing, we don’t use much of our core. When our trunk or upper body starts to move forward, we need our core to support and stabilize our spine. The trunk moves forward when we do a squat. If our trunk moves more than 45 degrees forward, the extra weight of our bodies moves over the balls of our feet and leads to greater activation and stress on the knees by pressing the knee cap (patella) and the knee joint together.

This shift in weight is a compensation pattern for a weak core. If you move your upper body so your trunk is less than 45 degrees, you put greater stress on your core. The deep and superficial muscles of the core have to work harder to keep you in the position but this also shifts your weight so it is over the middle of your feet and heels. This shift in the weight on your feet will decrease the stress on the knee.

Now lets go through some exercises you can do to improve your core when squatting.
How to Strengthen Your Core For Less Knee Pain

Standing to ¼ Squat

You can begin by moving from standing into the squat position with the trunk less than 45 degrees forward. I teach this with one hand on the stomach and one hand on the lower back. I get my clients to activate the core and then move from standing into a squat position. I will get them to hold the squat position for 10 seconds and then move back into standing for 10 repetitions. I use the body ball with clients that lack stability or have knee issues when performing the exercise. We are working on the activation, endurance and strength of the core, and good motor patterns for the squat.

¼ Squat Exercises Exercises

After they have mastered the “standing to 1/4 Squat” exercise, I will get them to hold a 1/4 squat position and perform a variety of exercises. It can be narrow grip rows or pec fly exercises. They activate their core and hold the quarter squat position during the full set of the exercise.


Learn more about stability training at my Stability Ball Training workshops accredited for Massage Therapists and Personal Trainers across Canada http://www.gaiaadventures.com/bodyball.html

Let's connect at info@gaiaadventures.com.

Catherine D'Aoust at GAIA Adventures
www.gaiaadventures.com

Stability Ball Training in Toronto Sept 17, 18, 19, Ottawa Sept 24, 25, 26 and Vancouver, Oct 28, 29, 30.