To prepare your knees before exercise and limit the risk of injury, follow a three-step preparation routine: active self-massage of the back of the thigh using a small ball, internal and external rotation movements of the tibia on a sliding surface, and a final knee extension exercise with a resistance band until you feel a slight muscle warmth.

noli's read

This joint and muscle preparation routine is based on highly consistent physical principles, even though the preventive effect of these three specific movements has not been the subject of a dedicated clinical study. For the first exercise, a meta-analysis by Wiewelhove et collaborateurs (2019) confirms that self-massage with a ball or roller temporarily improves flexibility and range of motion without reducing muscle strength during the following session. Regarding tibial mobilization, biomechanical studies and expert opinions in physiotherapy agree that the knee's rotational capacity is crucial for proper joint tracking during exertion. Finally, using a resistance band to wake up the quadriceps is very relevant: a systematic review by Barton et ses collègues (2015) supports the idea that activating this large thigh muscle helps to better stabilize the patella. Stopping as soon as the muscle warms up is a judicious tip for awakening the joint without fatiguing it before your main activity.

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