How To Prevent Knee Injuries For Basketball Players
1) Start With Stability Exercises
Research has shown that stability exercises can lead to improved nuero-musclar function and balance while preventing knee injuries in athletes.
Stabilization training for basketball should target the muscles that act on the knee joint plus also challenge core, hip and ankle stability.
Stability training is a great way to identify any muscle weaknesses and imbalances.
Stabilization exercises should be performed at a low intensity/ low relative load with focus on correct form and muscle activation throughout a safe range of motion. Over time, the athlete should aim to increase range of motion before adding load or volume to the exercises.
Be sure to challenge the stabilizing muscles of the knee used in flexion, extension and rotation of the knee joint.
Uni-lateral exercises are a great way to build muscle stabilization around the knee joint required to help prevent injuries in basketball.
Here Is A Great Video Demonstrating My Favorite Stabilization Exercise For Basketball :
2) Once You Have A Stable Foundation Focus On Developing Strength Around The Knee Joint
Once you have built a stable muscular foundation, your muscles should be firing in the correct patterns with no obviously muscle imbalances.
Here Are A Couple Of Great Introductory Knee Strengthening Exercise For Basketball :
If you want to gain some serious strength it is always best to follow a proven periodized weight training plan for basketball.
Best Moves For Strong Knees
Knee problems can interfere with daily activities for people of all ages. An injury can sideline you from sports and exercise, or even make walking a challenge. Here are some simple tips on building and maintaining strong knees.
Pushing With The Balance Hand Thumb
The guiding hand is just for stabilizing the ball on the way up, and should play no part in the shot itself. But it is all too easy to let the thumb on this hand influence the balls trajectory. Make sure you keep this hand totally flat and release it to the side as you launch the ball with the fingers of your dominant hand.
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The 27 Best Knee Strengthening Exercises You Can Do At Home
The best knee strengthening exercises all in one place: build stronger legs at home in just 10 minutes per day.
On this page youll find the best knee strengthening exercises you can do at home.
Ive divided this article into 3 lists: exercises for runners, exercises for athletes, and exercises for seniors. All of them are fantastic for building stronger muscles around the knee, as well as for knee rehab at home.
Also:
If youre not sure where to start, try the example routines further down on this page.
Disclaimer:
Which Sports Are Really Bad For Your Joints
On the whole, doctors will tell you that exercise is good for you. And it is! In fact, studies have shown that sports have a beneficial effect on cartilage, even regular intense vigorous sports. Cartilage is nourished by activity, and sports can help to maintain healthy cartilage. But with some sports there is a high risk of joint injury and it is this recurrent injury which over time can wear out your joints or cause permanent damage. So, the bottom line is that if you engage in vigorous intense activities, as long as you do stuff to protect your joints and reduce the risk of injury, your joints should be fine. For instance, if youre a keen runner dont stop running instead invest in a good pair of running shoes with good shock absorption.
The Research
So, in summary
In particular: how to protect your knees
- Simple work on the buttock muscles and the muscles at the front of the thigh .
- Exercises like the straight-leg raise, clamshell, bridge and squats. More on these here.
- Back off from running until you strengthen these muscles.
- If you are already experiencing knee pain, stiffness, locking or giving way/instability again, BACK OFF from running and go and see your GP.
So what does cause osteoarthritis if it is not exercise?
Which sports are at high risk of causing joint injury
Which sports are less risky for injury
A table to compare sports activities
| Activity |
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Isometric Workout For Muscle Strengthening To Reduce Knee Pain
I suggest performing these exercises on both legs, even though you may only have knee pain on one leg. This will allow for equal strengthening and could actually help support the knee even better.
Also, if you experience any pain, please stop performing the knee strengthening exercises and consult your doctor, physical therapist or trainer to make sure you are performing the exercises correctly. Take it slow. Over time, you will get stronger!
Beginning Workout
Quadriceps Stengthener
Lay on your back. Place a rolled up towel or a small foam roller beneath the knee. Activate the thigh muscles in order to straighten the knee and hold the contraction for 5 seconds. Release. Repeat 10 times on each side. This will strengthen the quadriceps.
Straight Leg Raise
Lay on your back. Stretch both legs out on the floor. Lift the right leg up to about 6 inches off the floor and hold the contraction for 10 seconds. Make sure to keep abs tight. It may help to place hands underneath you at the lower area of the back for support as you want to avoid arching. Make sure to engage those quadriceps! This will strengthen the quadriceps and your core. Repeat 5 times on each side.
Hip Adduction
Lay on your back on the floor. Bend knees keeping feet on the floor. Place a small pillow, lightweight ball or foam roller between the knees. Squeeze the legs towards the object you are holding and hold for 510 seconds. Release and repeat 1020 times. This will strengthen the inner thigh muscles.
Hip Raise
Avoid Jumpers Knee & Acl Injuries This Season
If you want to prolong your career for as long as possible it is very important to learn how to strengthen your knees for basketball.
In fact, there are many other factors beyond strength that can impact the health of your knee joints over your basketball career.
Building not only absolute strength but also stability, power and mobility around the knee joint can greatly reduce the chance of injuring your knee while playing basketball.
Of course there are many potential ways to injure your knees while playing basketball. Some are unavoidable.
However, in the following article I am going to show you how to best care for your knees this basketball season, and hopefully for many more to come.
How To Strengthen Knees For Basketball. By BallTillWeFall. Last Updated March 29, 2018 1:50 PM
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Knee Strengthening Exercises For Athletes
The following knee exercises for athletes are advanced drills. If you dont feel safe doing them I recommend you start with the exercises for runners above. Using those you can build a good foundation for the more advanced drills.
If youre unsure how to put the exercises together into a routine, check out the example routines at the end of this page.
Ive ordered this list from easiest to hardest to give you an idea how these exercise roughly compare to each other.
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Why Do Basketball Players Ice Their Knees
Before answering this question, its essential to mention that its possible to treat knee pain and swelling using one of two methods: applying heat or cold. Using heat may increase blood flow to the offending area temporarily. In turn, the increase in temperature might flush out accumulated fluid, which would otherwise be a factor in muscle fatigue and an increased risk of further injury.
Conversely, the cold helps increase blood flow to the area. Again, placing an ice pack on the knee may flush out irritants and accumulated fluid. But, the body reacts to cold differently, causing continuous blood flow to attempt to warm the area.
Therefore, basketball players place ice on their knees to reduce pain and swelling that might occur while playing. Ice acts as an anesthetic, reducing pain while providing sufficient relief to allow athletes to continue with the game.
Basketball Knee Injury: Bullet Proof Your Knees
In basketball, lower body injuries are very common and affect the ability for athletes to play during the season. Studies have shown that up to 66% of basketball injuries occur in the lower body. Also, knee injuries are the second most common injury in all levels of play in basketball. Knee injuries can be nagging and result in increased time off furthermore, knee injuries can be caused by multiple factors: trauma, overuse, and non-contact.
To maintain knee health and decrease the risk for knee injuries, one must address issues above and below the knee joint. In other words, we have to look at the hips and the ankles. For that reason, we should have good hip control with glute strength, and normal ankle mobility to decrease unnecessary stress on the knee. With that in mind, here are our top 3 exercises that address the 3 joints to bullet proof knees.
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Exercise : Knee Extension
Sit on a table or desk with your legs hanging freely, and place a thin pad under your knee, so that the knee is slightly higher than the hip. Extend the knee slowly with the foot flexed, until the leg is extended hold 3-5 seconds, and then lower slowly under control. Do 10 repetitions and repeat with the other leg. You can do 2-3 sets as needed.
As you get stronger, you can add light ankle weights to increase the resistance. Your kneecaps will love you for this one! Your hamstring muscles will also get an excellent stretch in the process, as you strengthen your quads.
What Not To Do:
- Do not lock the knees during this exercise. The knees should remain slightly bent.
- Do not allow any part of the stepping foot to hang off the stool or platform.
- People who have issues with balance should not perform this exercise.
Muscles involved: Quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles.
There are many different ways to stretch the hamstrings in the back of the legs. One is through traditional toe touching.
- With the feet close together, slowly bend over at the hips and extend the arms downward. Keep the legs straight but do not lock the knees.
- Reach the fingers to the top of the toes and hold for 30 seconds.
- Initially, it may not be possible to reach the toes. In this case, try to get the fingers as close as possible to the toes without causing pain.
What not to do:
- Do not use a bouncing motion. Hold the body still.
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Hamstring Curls On A Weight Bench
Muscles involved: Hamstrings and gluteal muscles.
This exercise is a variation of the standing hamstring curl. A person can try this version if they have access to a weight bench that is purpose-built for this exercise. It may be more challenging than the standing hamstring curl, depending on how much weight a person uses.
Kick Knee Pain To The Curb
If youve been suffering from knee pain, schedule an appointment with Airrosti today to find a provider near you. Our providers will conduct a thorough injury assessment to identify the underlying cause of your pain.
By treating pain at the source and not just focusing on the symptoms, our providers have resolved most injuries in as few as three visits based on patient-reported outcomes. Well also equip you with the resources and tools needed to treat your injury at home to help speed your recovery and prevent future injury.
We also offer remote telehealth appointments. learn more about telehealth and schedule your virtual appointment today.
Read our Medical Disclaimer here.
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Walking Lunge With Rotation
Lunge forward with one leg by bending both knees and keep your trunk upright. After you have lunged and your knee is a couple of inches off the ground, rotate your upper body with arms at shoulder level to same side as forward leg
Keep moving forward and repeat on the opposite leg. Make sure the knee is stable during the lunge, keeping the knee over the foot.
How To Keep Your Knees Healthy As You Age
Do you hear a creak when you get up from a chair? Is it becoming more difficult to kneel down to do your gardening? If so, you know what old man time can do to your knees. That snap, crackle, and pop is not what you want to hear. The good news is, how to keep your knees healthy as you age is really not as difficult as you may think.
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Knee Strengthening Exercises That Prevent Injury
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According to the results of a 2011 Gallup poll, more than 25 percent of Americans deal with chronic knee or leg pain. Common causes of pain include previous injury, muscle imbalance, overuse, underuse or limited mobility. Individual cases vary, but strengthening exercises can often alleviate or even cure knee pain.
General knee strengthening exercises build surrounding muscles like quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus and calves to improve joint stability and support. See a physician for recommendations on knee exercises specific to your condition, and if you find that a particular exercise hurts, stop and try another. Aim for three sets of 10 repetitions of each exercise.
1. Squats
Squats strengthen your quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings. If your knees are unstable, stand in front of a chair while you do squats so that you can sit if you lose your balance.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. While keeping your back straight, sit back and down as far as you can comfortably go without letting your knees extend past your toes. Pause briefly and stand back up. Start with quarter or half squats and build up to full squats as you grow stronger.
2. Sit to Stand
This functional exercise is just what it sounds like: sit down slowly in a chair, then slowly rise to a standing position again.
3. Lunges
Forward lunges is also a great addition to these existing knee strengthening exercises. This exercise will strengthen your thighs and hips and also improve balance.
Squat Hops To Wall Squat
The first thing you do when youre tired in basketball is start to stand up and lose the position where you are strong and laterally quick, Edwards says. Beachbody Performance Energize can help with that, but if you cant sink down into a stance and D up, you might as well wear the other teams jersey.
This squat hop to wall squat duo will supply your lower body with strength and stamina.
Go for speed, not distance, he says. Move as fast as you can, tapping the feet as quickly as possible. And when youre done, do a wall squat until failure.
How to do it:
- Get into a defensive stance , arms out like youre guarding someone.
- Perform 16 jumps rapidly and repeat it 4 times.
- Find a wall and get back into your defensive stance with your arms and fingers extended and your back against the wall.
- Stay in that position until failure.
Something to consider: If you sweat worse than a broken spigot and youre doing wall squats at home, Superman a towel over your back to preserve the paint.
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