This Muscle That Protects Your Knee & Nobody Strengthens It

I want to share an important insight about knee health. Many of us experience aches and pains in our knees, especially when walking or going downstairs. But there's one muscle that can make a huge difference if we strengthen it - and unfortunately, it's often overlooked.

I'm talking about the tibialis anterior, located on the front of your lower leg. As Coach Tyler from WeShape explains, "This muscle helps do things like decelerate motion while you're running or walking. It also helps you go downstairs slowly and with control so you don't end up hurting your knees."

The good news is that you can start strengthening this crucial muscle right at home. I'll walk you through three variations of exercises targeting the tibialis anterior, suitable for beginners, intermediate, and advanced fitness levels.

Let's start with the beginner variation. This simple exercise focuses on building a mind-muscle connection with the tibialis anterior. Coach Tyler describes it as follows: "All you have to do is sit in a chair. You can either straighten your legs or you can keep your legs bent, whichever one gives you more muscle activation and more muscle recruitment." From there, you simply "lift your toes to your nose as much as you can, firing those muscles right there on the front sides of your shins."

Hold this position for a second, then relax and repeat. The goal is to continue until you feel a pump in the muscles on the front of your shins. This typically takes between 30 to 90 seconds. You can perform this exercise up to twice a day to build that crucial mind-muscle connection.

Once you've mastered the beginner variation, it's time to move on to the intermediate level. For this exercise, you'll need a sturdy wall. Start by positioning yourself about a foot away from the wall, then lean back against it. As Coach Tyler instructs, "Place your palms facing out like this and the goal is to have nice tall posture as you do this movement."

From this position, you'll perform the same toe-lifting motion: "Lift your toes towards your nose just like we did before until you feel those muscles firing... and you're going to come all the way back down, tap the toes and repeat." You'll continue this movement for 30 to 90 seconds, or until you feel that satisfying pump in your shins.

An important tip for the intermediate variation: you can adjust the difficulty by changing your foot position. "You can make this movement easier by bringing your feet back closer to the wall and repeating the movement, or you can make it harder by bringing your feet further away from the wall," Coach Tyler advises.

Finally, we have the advanced variation. This exercise takes the intermediate movement to the next level by focusing on one leg at a time. Start in the same wall-leaning position as before, but this time, you'll lift one foot off the ground. Coach Tyler emphasizes proper form: "Make sure that foot is right in the middle of your body. So don't just lift one foot and start tipping to the side. Put that foot right in the center of your body."

With one foot lifted, perform the toe-raising motion with your standing leg. "Lift your toes towards your nose again, squeeze that muscle and come back down," Coach Tyler instructs. As with the previous variations, aim for 30 to 90 seconds on each leg.

In conclusion

Remember, consistency is key when it comes to strengthening any muscle. Try to incorporate these exercises into your daily routine. As Coach Tyler puts it, "If you can do this, you'll have strengthened that muscle and you will feel so much better in your daily movements because it will be supporting your knees."

By focusing on this often-neglected muscle, you're taking an important step towards better knee health and overall mobility. Give these exercises a try, and you might be surprised at how much of a difference they can make in your daily life. Your knees will thank you!