This entry was posted on Friday, December 14th, 2007 at 3:21 pm and is filed under Performance Stretching. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
The knee is the most susceptible to injury of any joint in the body. Nearly 50 million Americans have knee problems, either from athletic injuries or simple everyday wear and tear. For those who already have knee problems, exercising the area surrounding the joint will help make it stronger and less susceptible to injury. Here are some exercises you can do to stretch the knee area:
Chair knee extension: Sitting in a chair, rest your foot on another chair so that the knee is slightly raised. Gently push the raised knee toward the floor using only leg muscles. Hold the stretch for 5 to 10 seconds, and release. Repeat this stretch 5 times on each leg.
Heel slide knee extension: Lie on your back, with the left knee bent and the left foot flat on floor. Slowly slide the left heel away from your body so that both legs are parallel. Hold the stretch for 5 to 10 seconds, and return to starting position. Repeat this stretch 5 times on each leg.
Knee flexion: Sitting in a chair, loop a long towel under your foot (which is resting on the floor). Gently pull on the towel with both hands to bend the knee, raising your foot 4 or 5 inches off the floor. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, then release. Repeat this stretch 5 times on each leg.
