05/31/2026
Knee pain isn't always a knee problem.
When we're trying to build more resilient knees, we look at the entire system that supports them, the feet, ankles, hips, hamstrings, tendons, ligaments, and the nervous system's ability to control movement.
- Slow, heel-elevated goblet squats to improve control through deeper knee flexion while increasing time under tension. Tendons and ligaments respond to progressive loading, and slow strength work helps build their capacity.
- Eccentric hamstring training with long-lever positions to improve strength and control throughout the entire length of the muscle. Your hamstrings play a major role in helping manage forces at the knee, especially during deceleration, running, and absorbing load.
- Hip airplanes with an external cue to improve the connection between the hip and foot. Better rotational control at the hip often means less unwanted stress being transferred to the knee.
- Seated explosive jumps to develop power, force production, and force absorption. Life and sport happen quickly our tissues need to be prepared for it.
- Lunges on a foam block to challenge foot and ankle stability. A stable foundation underneath the knee can significantly improve how forces are distributed throughout the leg.
Just as important as the exercises themselves is load management.
Tissues need time to adapt to stress. For runners especially, rapidly increasing mileage can outpace the body's ability to recover.
A general guideline is to increase weekly running volume by about 10–15% at a time & not increasing until you've mastered that new milage. This allows muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones the opportunity to gradually build capacity.
Any more, your body usually doesn't have time to adapt to what you're asking of it. But a reminder this is different for everyone based on many factors.
The goal isn't just to get out of pain. It's to build a body that's capable of handling the demands you place on it every day.
As always pain is multifactorial, there is no magic pill. There is only capacity and adaptation.
