3 Exercises to Beat Knee Pain on the Bike

If your normally powerful pedal stroke begins to fade and pain creeps in, your knee cap could be misaligned.

To prevent this from occurring, your kneecap must track correctly along the femur and align with the joints of the hip and ankle.

If the knee is internally or externally rotated, the hip and ankle will likely be as well. This is important because the coordinated movements of all three joints are what create power in your pedal stroke. If misalignment occurs, your pedal stroke won't be as efficient, and as time goes on, you may end up with an injury.

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To get faster and prevent a problem from occurring, you need to strengthen areas of weakness in the lower extremities. Try these three exercises, along with this simple test to determine if you have a misalignment, to get back on track in no time.

The Test

Knee misalignment can be seen by looking at the kneecap. With your feet pointed straight and hip-width apart, stand in front of a mirror and look at the orientation of your kneecaps.

If your kneecaps are aligned, they will both be pointing straight ahead. If you notice that your kneecaps are pointed slightly inward (internal rotation) or slightly outward (external rotation), a misalignment is likely.

Once this has been determined, it may be necessary to consider the health of the surrounding soft tissues such as the muscles, fascia, tendons and ligaments. Are your quadriceps or hamstrings tight? Do you have pain in your tendon?

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If left untreated, this postural imbalance can wear away the soft tissues of the knee and other joints through increased friction and strain in the joint. Inflammation, pain, joint deterioration and damage to the meniscus can occur.

Luckily, most of the time minor misalignments can be corrected by strengthening the muscles around the joint. Below are three exercises to get you started.

3 Realignment Exercises for the Knees

To realign the knees, imbalances in the hips and the ankles must be addressed. A knee that's internally rotated can be caused by weakness in the external rotators of the hip and other muscles in the pelvic girdle. Conversely, an externally rotated knee may be caused by tightness in the muscles of the pelvic girdle, which means stretches will be needed to treat the problem.

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Active Bridges

This is a good exercise to try if you have internal rotation of the knee. Active bridges will strengthen weak external hip rotators, which is the most common cause of internal misalignment.

Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Let your lower back relax with a natural curve. Your feet should be flat on the ground, pointed straight forward and spread hip-width apart.

Place your arms at your sides with palms up. To keep your knees inline with your hips, place a strap around both legs just above the knee joint. Tighten it so that you have 1 to 2 inches of space between each knee.

Pre-contract your gluteal muscles by squeezing them towards each other without activating your accessory muscles like the inner things, pelvic floor (Kegel) or abdominals. Maintain the tension in your gluteals and push your hips up off the floor. Your hips should rise to a height that your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line.

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Make sure this movement is initiated by the glutes. Watch your hips to ensure that they rise evenly on both sides. If one side is weaker than the other, you may notice one side dropping as you become fatigued. Concentrate on keeping your hips level.

Your range of motion may be limited by tightness in the quadriceps muscles. If you notice this, do some stretching before beginning the exercise.

Hold for 5 to 10 seconds and complete 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Hip Crossover Stretch

For externally rotated knees, try the hip crossover to stretch tight pelvic girdle muscles. This exercise will also strengthen some of the external rotators of the hip.

Start in the same position as the exercise above. Cross your right ankle over your left knee. Rotate your body down to the side until your right foot touches the ground. Turn your head to the right and attempt to lay your ear on the floor.

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Use your hip muscles, not your hand, to push your right knee away from your body. This will open up your hip in the front and activate the external hip rotators.

You should feel tension and the gluteal muscles on the right side should activate. You may also feel a stretch in your inner thigh and the front side of the hip. Make sure to keep the left leg relaxed.

Hold for one minute and repeat on the other side.

Counter Stretch With Feet Wide

Another common cause of knee misalignment is tightness in the hamstrings and calves.

To complete the counter stretch, stand facing a counter with your feet spread 2 to 3 feet apart. Make sure your feet are pointed forward. Place your hands on the counter shoulder-width apart.

Extend your legs, push your butt back, and drop your chest through your arms to create an "L" position with your upper and lower body. Tighten your quadriceps muscles on the front of the upper thigh. Rotate your pelvis down and forward to increase the arch in your lower back.

Hold the position for 1 to 3 minutes.

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