You can get rid of your knee pain or dramatically reduce the aches you feel in 60 seconds with one of the best exercises ever invented for knee problems.
What you need:
- A yoga block. If you don’t have a yoga block, use a large hardback book such as a dictionary.
- A yoga strap. I prefer the kind with a plastic buckle because you can create a firm grip.
Here’s something important to think about.
Anytime you have pain anywhere in your body the first step in getting rid of that pain with exercise is to create length and space.
What do I mean by this?
Often when we experience pain, your muscles have contracted, the bones have compacted and energetically your acupuncture meridians have become blocked.
When you create length and space, you bring your muscles, bones and connective tissue back into alignment, you release compression and you allow your energy to flow easily once again.
That’s part of what’s happening with this fabulous exercise – but not all, but let me now teach you how to do this.
Place a yoga block between your knees and a yoga strap around your gastrocnemius.
- Get down onto the floor on a rolled out yoga mat.
- Put a yoga block between your knees. This helps bring your knees into proper alignment. As I have discussed in previous articles about healing your knees without surgery, your feet control your hips, your hips control your knees. You have to place your feet, hips and knees into alignment to get rid of your knee pain.
- Put a yoga strap around your gastrocnemius. You have two calf muscles – your soleus, which is the long skinnier muscle, and the gastrocnemius, which is the rounder muscle at the top of your calf just behind your knee.
- Make sure your knee caps are straight up to the ceiling.
- Make sure your feet are straight up.
- Now, as hard as you can, isometrically push out against the belt to the right and to the left. This is horizontal action. Push out against the belt so hard that you feel the muscles on the outside of your legs activated all the way up to your hips. Push for 60 seconds and continue to breathe.
- Now remove the belt and the block and get up and walk around. Feel the difference!
In addition to creating length and space around the knee joint, this exercise also strengthens the muscles that support the knee.
There are many causes of knee pain, but if you have hurt your knee in any way you will need to strengthen the muscles supporting your knee joint in order to heal completely.
If you need help getting rid of your knee pain naturally, please email me at catherine@unlimitedenergynow.com or call 678-612-8816 to set up an appointment.
It’s important to understand that if you have hurt your knee, the problem may originate in another part of your body, most especially your feet and/or your hips and you will benefit from professional help bringing everything into balance and alignment.
I’ll teach you how to do this and many other exercises and explain how natural inflammatory nutrition can make you feel much better today.
I am knock-kneed, so my lower legs are already jetting outward. I was told that lack of flexibility in the ankle joint is the problem. It is compounded by less mobility in my left ankle due to injury. Any advice?
Hi Stacy, Thank you so much for reading my blog. Great question! Here’s my sincere recommendation. Every body is unique. You – like many people- would benefit from receiving a personalized postural assessment. As I wrote in my blog, your feet control your hips, your hips control your knees. Most people who have imbalances or pain in their knees have a problem somewhere else. I am trained in yoga therapy as well as the Chek system so I have been performing postural assessments and writing corrective exercise programs for clients for many years. If you are in Atlanta, you can come see me in person. If you are elsewhere, we can work via Skype. Set up an appointment by emailing catherine@unlimitedenergynow.com or call 678-612-8816.
Thanks for your response, Catherine. I will keep your suggestion in mind. My New Year’s resolution is to get out of debt, so no spending on anything except bare necessities for now.
On an emotional level, knees are about moving forward in your life (or not). When you are ready, I will be happy to help you Stacy!
Hi Catherine,
I bought the yoga block and belt to do this exercise as I have ha knock knees now for two years. I am 80 years old and find it way too difficult to get down and then up off of the floor. My question is would this exercise be beneficial if done while lying on a bed?
Joyce Siegel
Dear Joyce, I am a great believer in starting where you are at and moving forward from there. Good for you for working on your body to get even healthier! Be kind and patient with yourself and follow the exercise to the best of your ability. Sending you love and light, Catherine Carrigan
Would you recommend this exercise to someone who has dislocated their knee previously? It sounds like a great way to activate muscle groups and as you put, strengthen the muscles but does it put a strain on the knee joint at all? Thanks
Hi James, Thank you so much for reading my blog! Here’s my conservative response. Each body is unique. If you have any doubt about whether or not any exercise is appropriate for you, I would set up an appointment for a personal postural assessment and recommendation. I work in person, by phone and Skype. People heal at different rates. Different exercises and approaches are needed at each phase of your healing process. As I wrote in my blog, if a person is suffering from knee pain, more than likely their feet and hips are also involved. If you have dislocated your knee, it would be very important to inquire what else is going on in your body. You can set up an appointment by emailing catherine@unlimitedenergynow.com. Catherine Carrigan
I have shown this exercise to my wife who suffers from knee pain. Thankyou
Dear Omar, Thank you very much for reading my blog. I am so happy to hear that you took your time to help your wife with this exercise. You may want to subscribe to my newsletter because my January newsletter will be all about natural healing for your knees. Love and light, Catherine Carrigan
Is knock knees get corrected completely by doing this exercise? Is there any precautions necessary?
Hi, Great question! As always, your body is unique to you. If you have knock knees, more than likely there are other things going on with your body, specifically your feet, your hips and your lower back. I would recommend you set up a one to one appointment with me so that I make specific recommendations for your body. You can call 678-612-8816 or email catherine@unlimitedenergynow.com to make an appointment.
I have got sergory in my acl and medial meniscus about more than one year ago but still have pain in my medial meniscus
What is your advice is this exercise good for this
Dear Mohd,
Great question! As with any healing process, there may be multiple factors affecting your knees including your posture, the position of feet and hips, your sleep patterns, your nutrition, your emotional state and many other issues. If you have any question about whether any exercise is safe or appropriate for you at this time, set up an appointment by emailing catherine@unlimitedenergynow.com or calling 678-612-8816. I take a comprehensive approach to restoring your knees. Thanks for reading! Catherine Carrigan