Knees Please! / August 2025
Pilates can… Please Your Knees!
I love summer. I can’t get enough of sunny days and time outdoors, hiking, yoga, and swimming. I feel a boost in my energy from the added physical activity, but I also have days where I really feel my knees. In my 20s, I tore my ACL playing soccer, and I had successful surgery that let me get back to team sports for many years. I’m grateful that I was able to continue to lead such an active lifestyle, yet long term, I’ve started to feel the effects of that injury. I have regular aches and pains, and my recovery time is a little longer after major workouts. When it comes to my knees, though, it seems like a use it or lose it situation, and maintaining strength and flexibility is key to avoiding another surgery and continuing to do all the things that bring joy to my life.
Pilates has played an important role in my overall fitness, but also in my knee rehab. When I’ve geared up for big treks in Peru and Nepal, I’ve doubled down on exercises that help with alignment, balance, coordination and strength. I’ve also focused on the joints above and below the knee–ankle and foot mobility are essential for healthy knee function, as is the hip joint. Luckily there are a ton of exercises within the Pilates repertoire that can help strengthen the legs and improve functional movement patterns to support knee health.
One of the most common complaints I hear from clients is around knee pain during load bearing movements like squats or lunges. Whenever we experience pain, our first instinct is to avoid the action that causes the discomfort, which can become a bit of a vicious circle–we stop doing a movement because it hurts, which leads to muscle weakness and decreased mobility, which leads to further injury or pain, etc. Obviously, when you’re dealing with a significant injury, you should be consulting with your healthcare team. But if you’ve got the green light to work out, then Pilates can play a part in your fitness program. The great thing about a Pilates practice is that there are so many different ways to achieve the same movement goals. This month, we’re going to focus on exercise progressions and variations that can help bullet-proof your knees and keep you on the move.
Join us in class and follow us on social media throughout the month of August for more exercises, tips, and information on how Pilates is great for your knees!
Pam Ferguson
Retrofit Master Instructor
Lead Instructor/Operations Associate
