Why do women suffer from weak knees?

The knee is one of the most important joints in the human body. People usually need to use their knees to exert force when they are active. Those who often do heavy physical work, or those who exercise a lot, as well as older people, are prone to knee injuries. Knee injuries can seriously affect a person's ability to move. If a woman suddenly experiences sore knees, she should consider the following reasons.

Why do women suffer from weak knees?

Knee pain is a common phenomenon. Research shows that there are many reasons why women are more likely to suffer knee injuries than men.

The best way to prevent knee problems (or recover from a knee injury) is to maintain a healthy weight and increase the flexibility and reflexes of the knee's balancing muscles, which can reduce the risk of knee injury.

The most common cause of knee pain in women is overstretching or tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament. The anterior cruciate ligament is a short, cord-like connection that runs from the back of the thighbone to the front of the tibia. It prevents hyperextension and hyperrotation of the knee joint, thereby stabilizing the knee. Women are up to two times more likely than men to injure their anterior cruciate ligament during most fitness activities. In sports such as downhill skiing and gymnastics training, women are eight times more likely to be injured than men.

Like other types of knee injuries, an ACL tear can cause significant pain. Because the knee joint is the basis of movement, knee pain directly affects people's quality of life.

Why are women's knees so susceptible to injury? The medical community has different opinions on this. Some experts believe that it may be caused by anatomical differences. Women have wider hips, which increases pressure on the inner knees. It has also been theorized that estrogen and other female hormones can cause the knee joint to loosen or relax, making it more unstable. Statistics show that female athletes suffer more knee pain during the midpoint of their menstrual cycle, when estrogen levels are highest.

Another possible reason is that women tend to keep their upper body upright more often than men when running or doing other exercises. This posture prevents the biceps femoris from being stretched sufficiently, which in turn affects the contraction and force of the muscles, thus aggravating the situation in which the quadriceps dominate the biceps femoris in terms of strength. The greater the range of knee bend when running, the greater the range of motion of the biceps femoris driven by the hip, which can provide more protection for the knee joint and surrounding ligaments.

The best way to prevent knee problems and recover from knee injuries is to maintain a healthy weight and focus on developing body flexibility, as well as training and regulating the function of the knee balancing muscles, so that the knee joint will be less injured. The following exercises can help strengthen these muscles.

Inner Leg Raise

Starting position: Lie on the floor on your left side with your hips slightly forward and your right hip directly over your left hip. Straighten your left leg and place it flat on the floor. Bend your right knee slightly and place the inside of your right foot on the floor just in front of your body. Bend your left elbow and rest your head on your left upper arm. Place your right palm on the floor in front of your chest to support your body.

Action process: Keep the rest of the body stable and still, contract the inner muscles of the left thigh and lift it up about 15 cm. Hold for 3 seconds, then slowly return to the starting position. After completing your target number of reps on one leg, switch to the other leg. Do 2 to 3 sets, 15 times each set, alternating between the left and right legs.

How to increase the difficulty: When your legs are at the highest point of the movement, lift them up 4 to 8 times (do not drop them to the ground), then return to the original position and do the next movement.