This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in January of 2024. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X8-19CSToQ.
Mike: Leg strengthening can be easier than you think.
Brad: That's right, now we've narrowed it down to one exercise that's going to strengthen your legs, and keep you mobile and active. All right, when picking the best leg exercise, there are three things that you really want to consider, and one of them is not wearing red pants.
Mike: The first thing to consider is an exercise that works numerous muscle groups, like the quads and the glutes.
Brad: That's right. Now, the next thing is not so obvious, but we want to strengthen each leg individually, as opposed to both at the same time, it can make a big difference in function.
Mike: And finally, you want an exercise that is functional. So it can prepare you if you're getting something off the floor or going up and down stairs.
Brad: As well as getting your own body off the floor without feeling like you're going to fall.
Mike: So the exercise we're talking about is a split squat, commonly known as a lunge.
Brad: That's right, now the beauty of this exercise or one of the great benefits, if you have knee pain, which many of us do once we get past 55 or 60, this exercise can easily be modified to actually improve that knee pain, while strengthening your legs. That's what I like about it.
Mike: So in order to perform a split squat, you can do it with support or without. I'm just going to demo what the exercise is first. So essentially, you're going to get in a lunge position. You have to split your feet apart, and you're going to simply lunge down with a good upright posture. I have good knee movement. I'm going all the way down to the ground. We'll show you how to modify this for people that have knee pain or struggle to get this low. We're going to perform 10 reps on one leg, and then we're going to switch positions and do the same thing on the other side.
Brad: Good, now we're going to show you some options that if you are having knee pain, how you can work around that and improve it, as well as making sure your balance is stable and you feel like you're not going to tip over while doing this, which is important. Okay, so if you're just starting this, or you feel a little unsteady, some really good options, is while you set up for it is to have a countertop or something steady here. It's nice to have something on both sides if you really want to feel steady. That'll help with the knee pain as well. You can use a chair, a cane, or a Booyah Stik like I am, and we'll start performing that. Mike, how are we going to get into this, if you have knee pain?
Mike: So if you have knee pain, just start with shallow lunges. You don't have to go all the way down. I'm literally going a quarter of the way down perhaps, and I'm just priming up those knees. As it starts to loosen up and feel better in my knees, I might start to go down a little bit further and see what's comfortable for me. Make sure you can get back up and hold on for support.
Mike: Eventually, you can even put something softer down on the floor that you can work on progressing to kneel towards, touch, and then come back up. Just make sure you're comfortable getting out of this position.
Brad: Right, and you don't have to do 10, you may start with only three or five and build up over time. Now, a really good option if you have stairs and some handrails, you can use that to get that knee range motion and strength, as well as another option if you're having knee pain.
Mike: So what you can try to do is actually translate your knees over your toes, which is something we learned from Ben Patrick. The beginner way to do this is to elevate your front foot. So I'm going to use the stairs here. I'm going to go with what I can comfortably do an with my back leg behind me, and I'm simply going to lean forward more this time with keeping upright posture. You could probably see my knee is really going forward. It's okay on this if your heel pops up off the ground. So you're just going to work on strengthening that knee. This will help strengthen the tendons and ligaments specifically around your knee, which will help build up strength and can decrease your pain.
Brad: Okay, now if you're not feeling comfortable getting that deep knee lunge like Mike just mentioned, we're going to show another option that works well. Making sure you are stable by using both handrails on the step. Go ahead, Mike.
Mike: So this exercise is just called a Step-up. It still works the quads and glutes like we want. So you're simply going to actually step up on the stairs, use both hand railings for support, and I'm just going to alternate. I'm going to do 10 on each side. You want to focus on pushing through your leg and using your hands as needed. As you get stronger, you can decrease to one handrail or no handrails. This is a good exercise. And make sure you're slow and controlled. You're not jumping up and then flopping back down.
Brad: That's right, another thing to think about is looking at your knee. Make sure that your knee does not go inwards, as you're doing this exercise, as well as all of these exercises.
Brad: If the knee goes in, it's going to actually irritate the joint, and that arthritis. So keep the knee lined up with the toes. It'll make a big difference. It's one of those little hints that therapists like to give. Okay, now, once you get the mechanics down of this, you're going to find out that you'll get some sore muscles possibly the next day. Now, the way to work with this is don't do these exercises every day. Do them every other day. Build up to two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. If you wanna actually go a step further and get those muscles relaxed and reduce that soreness, you can use a massage gun. This is a very popular thing. We've actually been using them ourself for a few years and we know a lot of people have been buying these. We sell them. And let's talk about a good option.
Mike: So this is the Air2 Massage Gun. It is a rechargeable, portable massage gun. You can see it's pretty light and handheld. It does have a 12-millimeter amplitude, that means how far it travels into the muscle belly. So it's really good for anyone middle-aged and older. Or if you're more of a small person. It's not the strongest massage gun on the market, but it is plenty strong for most individuals.
Brad: Right, it's nice to hold onto. And like the hamstrings, if you're working those, you can get onto them easily seated, and the quadriceps. Now, one thing about when you're getting close to the knee, you do not want to massage on the bone, but you want to get close. Now, actually, the best head for that is the head, there's five heads, and Mike is using the Airhead. Go ahead, Mike, talk to them about that.
Mike: So the Airhead is a soft, rubber material. It is squishy. If you go over a bony prominence, like your kneecap, it's not going to hurt at all.
Brad: Good, so the other thing that we can work on, again, if you're getting sore hips, it's a really nice way to work those hip muscles. You can do it in a seated position. I usually do it lying down like this to get that hip and I work up around the top of the hip and around the backside.
Brad: It is just a very diverse instrument. Biceps, shoulders, and chest muscles, it works everything. Just make sure you don't go anything from the neck and up, that's off-limits.
Mike: If you want to check out more videos on how to strengthen your leg, check out our video "3 Leg Strengthening Exercises Every Senior Should Do." This one has three exercises.
Brad: That's right, three leg exercises every senior should do.
Mike: Even non-seniors can do them, I guess.
Brad: That's right, they're really good for everyone.
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