As we each enter a new decade, we're putting a spotlight
on knee health.
The knees are one of the most important body parts for any athlete —
poor knee health will inevitably lead to serious issues and injuries down the road and really hinder your performance.
Ankle range of motion, specifically dorsiflexion, or pulling the toe «up» towards the shin, is important
for knee health.
In fact, this is a key exercise for strengthening the patellar ligament and the quadriceps attachment for the knee, which is super important for
maintaining knee health and improving the results of lower body training.
For side splits, be especially careful
about knee health, as moving into the position too quickly can sprain the medial ligaments of the knees, as well as other unprepared structures.
If you're starting a new exercise program or ramping up an existing one, doing so slowly can also protect
your knee health.
Strong hams, on the other hand, will help stabilize your hips, maintain the proper alignment of your spine and protect
your knee health.
What's even more interesting and widely unknown is that squatting above parallel can pose real dangers to
your knee health because the force of the barbell can only shift onto your knees once you reach parallel.
Strength coaches and exercise scientists have many disagreements, but almost all of them agree that knee caving is undesirable from
a knee health standpoint.
Although some claim squats can be bad for your knees, the movement is actually one of the safest and BEST things you can do to boost
your knee health (when done correctly!).