Straight Leg -
without muscle contraction
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Straight Leg -
without muscle contraction
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Locked knee -
with muscle contraction
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Locked knee -
with muscle contraction
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A “locked knee” - How to execute it properly and its benefits.
All postures in Bikram's Yoga series result in specific health benefits.
The sustained muscle contraction of locking your knees produces the following therapeutic benefits:
- A protected knee joint while practicing the postures
- A healthy knee joint, free of soreness from previous knee injuries and guarded against future problems like arthritis
- A renewed bounce in your step due to stronger leg muscles
All about the quadriceps femoris muscles
Take a close look at the four photos on the right →
(click anywhere on an image to enlarge it)
The top photos do not have the shadow of muscle definition around the top part of the knee joint, while the ones below do.
The leg in all photos is straight and the knees are locked in the sense that the leg is straight; however, the bottom photos show a knee properly "locked," while the others do not.
The difference is the use of the quadriceps muscles.
Tighten your quadriceps - how to execute
Your quadriceps are your front thigh muscles between your knee and your hip.
Proper execution is simple...push your knee back until your thigh muscle tightens and the whole knee cap lifts. You should be able to see muscle definition around your knee joint.
The maintained muscle contraction takes practice, but is essential in order to receive the therapeutic benefit. If the thigh muscles remain slack, you will create unnecessary compression in the knee joint, eventually causing damage.
Common Mistakes / Misconceptions - how to fix
- Knee soreness during practice – single legged postures
Keep body weight distributed evenly on foot during single legged postures. Weight in the heel is a common mistake.
- Hyper flexibility in joints (aka hyperextension)
Hyper flexibility in the joints is not unusual, but when you maintain the contraction of the muscles around the joint, hyper flexibility is corrected. With consistency and good muscle integrity, joints become balanced between strength and flexibility.
So "Locking The Knee" means
Rather than just straighten your leg in the standing poses, actively contract your quadriceps muscles and you will never have sore knees, your walk will feel lighter and you will prevent future injuries and ailments. |
Welcome Liz Tyrrell to the teaching staff.