How to strengthen your knee

After being active for pretty much this year of my life & they are telling me my knee isn't strong and no flexibility. I looked at them and said, "how is that even possible" I had no idea why it was the way it was, only thing I could do is push myself at physical therapy & do my exercises at home. 

But I feel as though there a lee a ton of active  people out there running, going to the gym, or doing at home workouts and even though you are stretching are you doing the right ones to prevent injury. 

This blog I'm going to be specific and talk about the exercise I have been doing to work on my IT band, but a lot of these exercises target your hips, butt, calf, and hamstrings. 

**first you always want to make sure you warm up** at PT I start with ten minutes on the bike. Try going for a short walk, just to get the muscles moving. 

1. Planks- who would have ever thought I'd be doing these at therapy. When your favorite trainer (Chalene, Tony)  says the core is a major part in everything...they ain't lying. If you aren't stable in your core everything is out of whack. Start on your knees and do 2 set of 10- hold for 5 seconds each. You want to make sure everything is in a straight line. 

2. Clam shells- stack your knees on top of each other. Then move them in front of you at a 45 degree angle. Whatever leg is on top lift til you can't anymore (without moving your body) come back down. Start with a set of ten and measure your progress from there. I am now on 3 sets of 12. 

3. Lunges- I'm sure you know how to do lunges, but make sure your knee doesn't go over your foot. You want to make sure you are straight when you go down and your hips do try to go out on the side. Don't take big strides, just a step & the back knee does not have to touch the ground.  I usually do down an aisle and back twice.

4. Hip Abductors- lie down with your legs stacked. The leg on the bottom bend for support. Raise the top leg at 45 degrees and hold up for 5 seconds, ten times each.

5. Side Planks- the planks turned to the side. But I have been doing these all wrong. Make sure your hips are stacked straight and your shoulder is in align with the rest of your body not hunched over .