The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the human body. According to statistics from the American Academy of Medicine, nearly 20% of adults frequently face knee pain and issues such as swelling, aches, clicking sounds in the knee joint, and more.
Knees help support the body firmly. They also allow the legs to bend and straighten. Both flexibility and stability are necessary for standing, walking, running, crouching, jumping, and turning.
The knee joint is made up of four components: bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.
There are many reasons for knee pain (age, being overweight, medical conditions, accidents, etc.), however, the highest proportion is due to injuries during exercise, mostly due to insufficient warm-up or not having trained enough strength/flexibility for the muscles.
Some common injuries to the joint that many people experience are: fractures, anterior cruciate ligament injuries, tendon tears, synovitis, dislocations, and more.
To prevent knee joint injuries and alleviate pain in this area, here is a list of 5 stretching exercises that experts recommend people should regularly practice to improve and increase muscle strength for the knee joint area.
1. Supine Hamstring Stretch
Lie on your back on the floor and use a towel (or rope, belt, etc.) wrapped around the sole of your foot, hold both ends of the towel and gently pull your leg forward. You can use one hand to massage the back thigh muscle while pulling the leg.
If you can’t lie down, you can perform a similar muscle stretch in a sitting position by straightening both legs and slowly bending your back forward, pressing your chest as close to your legs as possible.
Perform gently and slowly, gradually pulling your leg up (or bending over) to feel the muscle tension, hold the position for 15-20 seconds then return to the original position, breathe evenly before continuing to repeat.
When performing this movement, try to keep your spine straight and stable for the best effect.
2. Standing Calf Stretch
Stand on a step (or house threshold), place one foot forward (on the higher step) and raise onto your toes, the other foot on tiptoe.
Keep your spine straight, lean slightly forward to increase pressure on the calf, helping to stretch the muscle more. When you’ve stabilized the position, hold for 15-20 seconds, then switch legs.
3. Hip Flexor and Quad Stretch
You can perform this movement on the floor or on your bed/exercise mat.
Lie face down on the floor, bend one leg up and reach both hands behind to grab the top of your foot, then slowly pull up to press against your buttocks (if your hands can’t reach, you can use a towel or silk cloth for easier grip, as shown in the image).
Try to pull so that the sole of your foot is as close to your buttocks as possible, feel the muscle tension, hold the position for 15-20 seconds then switch sides, repeat similarly.
4. IT Band Foam Roller
The iliotibial band is a ligament that runs along the outside of the thigh from the hip to the outside of the knee, connecting the ilium to the tibia. The iliotibial band wraps around the knee to help stabilize and transmit movement to the knee joint.
To perform the iliotibial band stretch, you need to use a foam roller.
Lie on your side, support yourself with both hands and one leg on the ground, straighten the other leg, adjust your position so that the roller is right under one side of your thigh (as shown in the image).
Use leg strength to move your body up and down, letting the roller massage and stretch your iliotibial band area. Do this for 15-20 seconds then flip over and switch legs.
5. Figure Four Glute Stretch
This movement helps stretch the piriformis muscle (a muscle inside the buttocks that helps with hip and leg rotation).
Perform the movement by lying on your back with knees bent and feet on the ground.
Place your left ankle on your right thigh, then bend your right leg so you can wrap your hands around your right thigh. Slowly pull your leg up towards you (keeping your back and thighs straight on the floor).
Hold still for about 15-20 seconds then switch legs, repeat.
To increase effectiveness, doctors/experts advise you to warm up your body before starting to exercise and perform the exercises gently, slowly, and regularly.
In addition, you should also attend stretching classes at professional centers to receive proper guidance and simultaneously combine self-practice at home. This way, the effectiveness will double and bring safety to yourself.
If you don’t know where to register for stretching classes in Saigon, contact SaigonDance Center immediately for free consultation and support.
Check out the schedule for stretching classes at SaigonDance:
→ https://www.saigondance.vn/lich-hoc (Stretching class in District 3 – Do Thanh Residential Area and stretching class in Go Vap – Pham Huy Thong)
Tuition fees for stretching classes: → https://www.saigondance.vn/hoc-phi/hoc-phi-cac-mon-hoc
SaigonDance Center:
- Branch 1: 94-96 Street No. 2, Do Thanh Residential Area, Ward 4, District 3, HCM Hotline: 38 329 429 – 090 2322 361
- Branch 2: 85 Pham Huy Thong, Ward 17, Go Vap District, HCM Hotline: 38 3636 5202 – 0902 992 361
- Website: https://www.saigondance.vn/
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