Safety and Injury Prevention Exercises

By Liz Neporent

High heels aren't the only reason that your knees are stressed. "Women have wider hips, which places greater pressure on the inside of the knee," notes Halpern. Theoretically, the larger this so-called "Q-Angle" is from hip-to-knee, the more susceptible a woman is to knee pain. Research also indicates that estrogen and other female hormones create a laxity, or looseness, in the joints that can make knees less stable. Statistically, females wrack up more knee injuries during the midpoint of their menstrual cycles, when estrogen levels are highest.

Women also tend to move differently than men, holding themselves more upright when they walk and run. When jumping, their knees tend to pivot slightly like a ball and socket upon landing as opposed to opening and closing like a hinge the way men's do. Halpern speculates that this can lead to imbalances in the thigh muscles that support and move the knee, which in turn can increase the risk of developing knee pain.

To help keep your knees intact, try these knee saving moves from Halpern's book. For best results, do these exercises 3 to 5 times per week, 1 to 3 sets of each move, 8 to 15 repetitions per set.

Squeeze 'N Lift
Start: Sit on the floor with your right leg straight and your left leg bent, foot flat on the floor and lean back so that you're propped up on your forearms. Gently flex your right foot and rotate your hip outward so that your foot is pointing to 1 o'clock. (When working your left leg, your foot should be turned to 11 o'clock.)
Exercise: Tighten your right front thigh muscle then lift your leg up until it is level with your left knee. Hold for three seconds and lower to start. Do all reps on the right, switch legs and repeat to complete one set.

Towel Presses
Start: Sit on the floor with both legs straight. Stack two rolled hand towels, one on top of the other, behind your right knee. Lean back so that you're propped up on your forearms.
Exercise: Flex your right foot, tighten your right front thigh muscles to completely straighten your leg, and press the back of your knee downward into the towels so that your heel lifts up off the floor. Hold for two seconds, then release. Do all reps on one leg, switch sides and repeat to complete one set.

Flamingos
Start: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Stretch your arms up and out to the side at shoulder level.
Exercise: Bend your right knee slightly to lift your right foot off the floor so that you are balanced on your left foot. To help maintain balance, look straight ahead at one fixed spot. Hold for 30 seconds. Place your foot back down and then repeat on your right leg up. Alternate legs.

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