Lunges hurt my knees!
“Lunges hurt my knees!”
Many of my clients hate lunges - saying they get pain in their knees when they do them - which naturally is something they want to avoid.
Does that sound like you?
I was over the moon recently when a client asked me to put some lunges INTO her programme BECAUSE her knees were bothering her and she knew she needed to get them stronger.
She said that previously she would have backed away from doing lunges when her knees hurt and she’s previously resisted doing level changes in dance. But after having worked with me for 2.5 years (!) she understands not only her own body but also how pain works and wants to refocus her attention rather than back away from things!
Why might lunges be good for your knees?
Very simply, they help to strengthen all the muscles around your knees, pelvis and hips which keep these joints stable. And when done dynamically, you increase the likelihood of the “wobble factor”, which, rather than being something to worry about, is actually testing the movement variability of these joints and potentially reducing the risk of injury.
”But Charlotte, lunges hurt! I don’t wanna!!”
I don’t blame you!!
This is NOT a case of “no-pain-no-gain.”
Pain is the signal of a potential threat and it is essential to listen to the signals our body is giving us.
Perhaps the brain is trying to protect you because there was a previous injury which has long since healed but the brain has continued to connect the pain to the movement.
Perhaps you have been told you shouldn’t do squats and lunges by a doctor - perhaps after an arthritis diagnosis?
Perhaps you’ve been avoiding or worrying about lunge-type movements and that they might be “bad” for your knees?
AND YET…
In the absence of acute injury, there’s always an entry point for safe, pain-free movement. When the body and brain is given a positive experience with movement, the threat is reduced, which may lead to a reduction or elimination of pain.
By showing the brain it is safe to move in this way you can get back to moving fearlessly and potentially reduce or eliminate pain.
The key is to find the version of the movement that causes no pain or very low pain. From here you can slowly and steadily increase the load or range of movement as the body becomes accustomed to it.
If this is something you’d like to dive deeper into, join me for an online workshop on 29th July. ”Squat & Lunge Solutions: Unlocking Pain-Free Movement”
We’re going to go through a range of progressions for both squats and lunges to find YOU an entry point and set you up to take it further as your strength, confidence and ability progresses!
29th July
11:30-12:30 BST
£20
(or £35 in conjunction with my other workshop -
“Core Confidence: Revealing your Hidden Strength” at 10:00-11:00 BST)