Five Knee Strengthening Exercises for the Female Athlete

According to NCAA estimates, 1 in 10 female college athletes will be sidelined by a serious knee injury, a much higher rate than male athletes. Why is this? Several factors are thought to contribute to this imbalance: a female's wider pelvis, less emphasis on injury prevention by coaches of female teams in middle and high school, estrogen possibly causing more joint laxity, an imbalance between hamstring and quadricep strength, and a commonly smaller anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). No matter the reason, female athletes need to be more pro-active in knee injury prevention. Here are five exercises designed to keep female athletes in the game.

(Always check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you've had knee pain in the past.)

Warm up your muscles by jogging or walking in place.

Wall Slide: Start by standing with your head, back and buttocks flat against a wall, with your feet about 1 1/2' away from the wall and spread apart hip wide. Slowly slide down the wall, causing the knees to bend, until you are almost at a seated position, and then slowly return back to standing position. Do not lock your knees. Do this 8-10 times. Only slide as far down as you are comfortably able.

Chair Pull: Sit in a normal position on a wheeled chair. Stretch your leg out and place your heel on the floor. Pull yourself and the chair to the foot, then repeat with the other leg. Your foot should not slide. Do three repetitions of 8-10 for each leg, resting between reps.

Walking Lunges: Standing with proper posture and arms at your side take a long stride forward with the right leg while bending the left leg almost to the floor. Keep your right front knee over your toes. Bring the left leg forward and take another long stride, now bending the right leg almost to the floor, with the left leg positioned over your toes. Repeat going across the room or down a hall, 8-10 steps with each leg. Rest a minute and repeat to
re-cross the room.

Vertical Jump: Stand with your arms down your sides. Slightly bend your knees and then jump straight up. Land softly on the balls of your feet, cushioning the landing by slightly bending your knees on impact. Do this 20 times.

Hamstring Lean: Kneel on the floor with your feet held by a friend, or anchored under a couch or bed. Keeping you arms at your sides, lean forward as far as you can go without bending at the waist. Return to a vertical position. Do up to 10, then repeat twice with a a one minute rest in between. This is a hard exercise so start with 3-5 repetitions at the beginning until you gain more strength in your torso.

When doing the above exercises listen to your body - DO NOT work through the pain.

Whether you're a serious athlete or a woman simply wanting to stay strong as she ages, these exercises can help prevent painful knee injuries throughout your life.