To relieve knee discomfort, one should not only look to strengthen the leg, but rather target lateral hip stability (via exercises such as the side plank or the single-leg squat), because an unstable hip leads to poor distribution of physical forces on the knee joint.

noli's read

The idea that hip stability directly influences knee comfort is solidly rooted in the science of movement. A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (2018) confirms that combining hip and knee strengthening is significantly more effective at reducing discomfort and improving mobility than working on the knee alone. This synergy is also validated by several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrating that activating hip rotators helps to better guide the trajectory of the lower body during flexion. Regarding unilateral movements like the single-leg squat, observational analyses of muscle activity prove that the gluteus medius activates intensely to stabilize the pelvis. While it is true that lateral weakness overloads the knee, presenting a simple side plank test as an absolute diagnostic is slightly exaggerated, as ankle mobility or foot structure also influence this alignment. In short, this functional approach of preparing the hip to relieve the knee is based on an excellent scientific foundation.

the sources

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