The knee joint is made up of three bones and several pieces of ligament and cartilage, which must work together to provide stable and flexible movement for the lower leg. The joint carries the body's full weight while bending and twisting, so it's...
Your knees help support your body and are vulnerable to injury and arthritis. Your knee joint allows you to bend and extend your leg. Your knee joint also supports a limited amount of turning, known as rotation. Problems with your knee joint can...
The MCL is anatomically known as the medial collateral ligament. It is a thick band of tissue that runs down the inner portion of the knee from the thighbone to the shinbone. The MCL prevents the leg from extending too far inward and also helps...
Back pain and spasms create a cycle that is sometimes difficult to break, with pain creating spasm, and spasm creating pain. Stretching exercises lengthen and relax the muscle fibers, while cardiovascular exercise increases the oxygen to the...
Beginning on the outside of your thigh and inserting below your knee, your iliotibial band is the tendon-like structure responsible for preventing excessive internal knee rotation and stabilizing the knee. When this band tightens, your knee...
Despite your hopes for a magic bullet, there is no one way to achieve pain relief for your joints, including your hips. Acupuncture, massage and heat therapy are all go-to methods to treat chronic pain. One of the best ways to treat pain in the...
Exercises that engage both the frontal abdominal muscles and the side obliques are the best workouts to achieve a flat stomach, report researchers at the American Council on Exercise. Moves that are incorporated in the most effective stomach...
Joints vary in flexibility depending upon the type of joint. A ball-and-socket joint such as your hip joint, for example, has a greater range of motion than a hinge joint like your elbow. Except for the joint socket itself, there are no bones...
Skiing demands a series of complex interactions between your upper- and lower-body muscles and your central nervous system. Your muscle groups work in concert to perform the primary skiing movements designated by the Professional Ski Instructor's...
Your knees are a critical piece of machinery. For runners, the amount of stress continually placed on this largest joint in the body can lead to injury. Pain in the back of the knee can mean a host of possible problems. Your ability to identify...
In their textbook "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance," Dr. William D. McArdle and Professors Frank I. Katch and Victor L. Katch describe the muscles of the abdomen as the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis and...
Approximately 37 percent of people who receive knee replacements continue to have problems and limitations with their knees, according to a 2010 article in the journal "Physical Therapy." Strength training may help improve knee function following...
Yoga has a long been credited as a great form of exercise because it can prevent future injury, slow progressive musculoskeletal diseases, and lessen the stress of everyday life. If you have a bad knee, yoga is a sensible activity to turn to, as...
Your knee ligaments are a group of strong, fibrous tissues that connect the femur in your upper leg to the tibia in your lower leg. They also provide stability for weight bearing and movement. You can develop minor or severe pain if you stretch or...
In order to lose your gut, both cardiovascular exercise and strength exercise focused on the abdominals are needed. The following exercises combine these two elements for gut-busting effects in minimal time. A general warm-up is recommended, such...
According to the Cleveland Clinic, hamstring strain is among the most common and troublesome athletic injuries. A group of muscles on the posterior or back portion of your thighs form the hamstring. Hamstring muscles primarily function to bend and...
People with a flexion contracture of their knee joint can experience mobility problems due to a flexed knee. A flexion contracture occurs when the tissues in your knees thicken after a period of immobilization and prevent your knee from bending....
The femur is the large, long thigh bone that connects your hip to your knee. Femur fractures are often cause by osteoporosis in older people; extensive force in contact sports; or trauma in motor vehicle accidents. A femur fracture can be quite...
With well-defined muscles in the calves, thighs and glutes, runner's legs are often toned, tight and lean. Obtaining these lithe limbs is not easy, though, and runners put in months or years of hard work before they see the results. Since walking...
Whenever you suffer from a knee injury, you will likely be told to avoid high-impact activities. A physical therapist or trainer may recommend either an elliptical trainer or a stationary cycle as part of your rehabilitation program. Pinpointing...
The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, sits in a vulnerable position inside your knee joint. Sports involving sudden directional changes, such as skiing, tennis, hockey and basketball, leave its athletes susceptible to ACL tears. The decision to...
A front squat, while similar to the squat, exhibits a slightly different effect on your knees. This does not make it better or worse, only different. You may achieve a greater depth when performing the front squat, which increases the rotation and...
Inflexibility of the muscles and tendons that control rotation of the hip can lead to other injuries and accidents, especially in those who suffer from arthritis, play sports or have conditions that otherwise cause muscle tension, such as...
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is a broad ligament located in the knee. The functions of the ACL are to prevent knee hyperextension, stabilize the knee and control rotation. Common injuries to the ACL include a tear or a complete rupture....
A leg snap in kickboxing is a type of front kick, but it differs from a thrust or push kick in the way it is delivered. Unlike a straight thrust or push kick where you contact the opponent with the sole of your foot, a leg snap uses the top of...
The sartorius is a small, ribbon-like muscle that runs from the forward outside portion of your pelvis down to the inside of your leg, just below the knee. It helps flex both the hip and the knee. The sartorius also aids in performing external hip...
Long-distance runners may experience pain on the inside of the knee from stress or irritation to the tendons. This pain can happen to anyone at any time during a run, but it's more likely to occur after several miles, especially if you've had knee...
Knee raise exercises are typically used to focus on the abdominal region. Your hip flexors will also be worked, as will your quadriceps to a lesser extent. Different body positions used for knee raise exercises will stress muscles from different...
The knee joint primarily moves in one direction by flexion and extension. It also allows a small amount of internal and external rotation and lateral flexion. To improve your knees' range of motion and prevent injuries, perform a combination of...
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