Your knee joints are one of the most important joints in your body. They help you to carry out simple day to day activities, such as walking, going up and down the stairs and physical exercise. Knee pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints and can have an big impact on your quality of life if it’s left untreated. A number of muscle groups help to keep the knees working well, but when one muscle gets injured, or it loses strength, it can throw the whole system around your knees out of balance meaning you’re more likely to suffer pain or injury.

This is why Pilates exercises for knee pain are ideal. They are low impact meaning they are easy on your joints and you are less likely to aggravate an injury or cause more pain. Pilates, can help to improve and correct alignment to strengthen the core to relieve pressure on the knee joints.

What are the causes of knee pain?

Knee pain can happen for lots of reasons and can often be a symptom of tendon problems, muscle problems or the result of a traumatic injury. However, it may also be a sign of an underlying condition such as osteoarthritis if there is no clear injury.

If you are unsure why you have pain in your knee, always speak to your GP who can determine what is causing the discomfort.

Is Pilates good for knee pain?

The simple answer is yes, Pilates is good for knee pain! There are many benefits to Pilates for knee pain, the main being the fact it is low impact meaning it’s much gentler on your joints so should not aggravate your pain.

Benefits of Pilates for knee pain:

Works on posture  and alignment

Strengthens muscles and increases joint movement

Helps with muscle control and strength of lower limb muscles to stabilise the knee joint

The smooth movements helps to improve range of movement in stiff joints and can help with pain relief

Improves core control to aid whole body position

Promotes balance and joint awareness.

Offloads the area by activating other muscles

No matter the knee injury sustained, it is common to lose glute and quad strength as your body attempts to protect the area around the knee. Therefore, Pilates is great for rehabilitation as most exercises have a focus on glute and quad activation and strength.

Whether you have knee problems or not, everyone should be mindful during any workout that the knees should aim to stay roughly in line with the second and third toes.

Once you have a diagnosis and reason for your pain, rather than saying you can’t do Pilates because of knee pain, you should actually participate in Pilates exercises to correct your movements and offload the joint.

Pilates is for life and can be life changing, so join a Body Control Pilates class now!