The patellar tendon connects the kneecap to the tibia, which is the large bone your lower leg. A series of connective tissues surround the tendon and adjacent muscles that create a myofascial line that runs from the tops of your feet to your hips and lower back. Thomas Myers, who is a licensed massage therapist and Rolfer and an author of "Anatomy Trains", suggests that strengthening and increasing mobility in your ankles and hips will also strengthen the patellar tendon.
Three-Point Hip Circles
Stability is your ability to control movement and maintain body alignment while moving, and mobility is the full range of motion of your joints. This exercise combines both hip and spine stability with hip mobility that helps to loosen the hip joint. Gray Cook, author of "Movement" and founder of Functional Movement Systems in Danville, Virginia, recommends hip mobility exercises to prevent excessive stress upon the patellar tendon and injury to your knee. Mobility and stability are the prerequisites to strength training for all of your joints. Go on your hands and knees on the ground with your wrists below your shoulders and your knees below your hip joints. Lift your left knee to your chest and externally rotate your hip out to the side in an arc. Extend your left leg behind you at the end of the external rotation and bring your knee back up to your chest. Do 10 rotations counter-clockwise and 10 rotations clockwise. Then do the same for your right hip and leg.
Stationary Lunges
Once your hips are loosened and strengthened, do stationary lunges that strengthen your entire lower body, including your patellar tendon. According to Cook, the lunge is lowering your body toward the ground by placing one leg in front of the other. When you lunge with your right leg forward, your right hip flexes while your left hip extends. Keep your front knee and both feet pointing forward. Do not hunch your back or shoulders forward as you lunge. You do not need weights for this exercise. To vary your stationary lunge, raise your arms above your head as you lunge down or reach forward to the ground. Do 10 lunges per leg. If one leg is weaker than the other, do an extra set on the weaker leg.
Single Leg Half-Squat With Reach
The single leg half-squat increases strength and stability to your patellar tendon, ankles and hip joint. Justin Price, owner of the BioMechanics in San Diego, California, and contributing writer for IDEA Fitness Association, recommends this exercise for those who demonstrates good balance and stability in their body.
Stand on your left leg with your right leg and hip extended behind you. Bend your left knee and hip together and squat until your knee is bent between 30 to 45 degrees. You may bend more than 45 degrees if you can maintain your posture and balance. As you squat, reach your right arm across your body toward your left knee. Stand back up and repeat the exercise ten times per leg.
References
- "Anatomy Trains"; Thomas Myers; 2008
- "Movement"; Gray Cook; 2010
- "PTontheNet"; Corrective Exercise - Part 2: The Lumbo-Pelvic Hip Girdle; Justin Price; July 2008
