Here are a few tips from our coaches.

Knee injuries, sore knees, cracking knees, we hear this more often that you think, so if this is you, don’t worry you are far from alone.

People of all ages and abilities can experience struggles with their knees, especially when it comes to exercising.  Squats, jumps, lunges, weightlifting can all trigger knee discomfort. Most of the time, knee weakness can be helped by strengthening the surrounding muscles, but unfortunately in other cases there can be an underlying medical condition like arthritis or injury.  This is when It’s best to seek professional help to find the most appropriate way to go about treating your condition.

However, if you are a queen who just sufferers from weakness or a little discomfort then these are a few tips for you.

Strengthen your Glutes:

Having strong glutes will support hip rotations and stabilize your knees. Strong supportive muscles will help to decrease the force absorbed by the knees while running, jumping or carrying out any other high impact movement.  Fit & Fierce with Francessa, or glutes and gains are great classes that focus on lower body strength so add them to your schedule.

Wear the right shoes.

It is super important to have the right support for your feet.  I know I love the super reps, a hiit shoe specifically designed by Nike for high impact training but your shoes should act as suspension by absorbing the impact during movements like jumping. This will save your knees, and help keep your joints in alignment, avoiding unnecessary pain and injury.  

Queen Quadriceps.

The quadriceps are the main muscles that support the knee.  This is the muscle above the knee at the front of your leg.   Weak quads can lead to knee instability, which increases wear and tear. So strong quads play an important role in knee function and pain rehabilitation.  Try our Barre Ballet class on Wednesdays with Sinead it is a low impact class and super effective or add some Weights with Toned with Tracey on a Thursday.

Dont skip the Stretch:

If you have stiff knees or pain during movement, use some stretching techniques to help stimulate blood flow, maintain flexibility and increase the range of motion. Staying still will only make your knees seize up and become less mobile.  Yoga and Pilates have been shown to be beneficial in increasing overall knee strength without overextending the joints.  Pilates on Friday mornings with Sinead or Yoga on a Sunday with Esther

Don't ignore pain.

Pain is a sign you should stop the exercise you're doing. Painful knees don't have to forgo your workout or weight loss efforts.  If you injure yourself, or pain persists and you just can’t seem to fix it yourself, then the best solution is to seek medical attention.