Daily practice of banded lateral walks for a month significantly improved my knee health.

Band-assisted lateral walks, a simple yet effective exercise, has been found to be beneficial for activating and strengthening the muscles that keep the femur and knee aligned. This exercise, recommended by licensed physical therapist Stefani Wylie Crowley, is particularly useful for engaging stabilizing muscles during everyday movements, making it a safe and beneficial addition to any fitness routine.

To perform banded lateral walks, you'll need a resistance band and place it on or just above your ankles. The exercise is straightforward: step your right foot to your right, following with your left foot, maintaining tension in the band for 10 steps. Then, repeat the movement stepping to your left for 10 steps. It's recommended to perform these walks in sets of 3 and reps of 10 each direction.

Stefani Wylie Crowley, an expert in spine and sports-related orthopedic injuries, has worked with a variety of athletes, from children to professionals. She has also worked with the Dallas Sidekicks, a professional indoor soccer team, and the Dallas Fury, a women's professional basketball team.

Banded lateral walks help build the strength needed to keep the knees in better alignment during walking, squatting, or climbing stairs. They also allow individuals to add a few extra pounds to their lunges and deadlifts, as well as 10 extra pounds to their squat. However, it's important to keep your knees soft during the exercise to avoid injury.

In one case, an individual experienced some residual hip tightness during single-leg glute bridges and one-leg Romanian deadlifts after a month of banded lateral walks. But, the knee pain diminished significantly after performing these walks. As a solution, Stefani Wylie Crowley suggested alternative exercises such as hip flexor stretches, pigeon pose, glute bridges, and foam rolling the hip and thigh muscles. A simple fix for the residual hip tightness was proper stretching, specifically the figure four stretch.

In conclusion, banded lateral walks are a simple yet effective exercise that can help strengthen the muscles that keep the femur and knee aligned. They are safe, beneficial, and can be easily incorporated into any fitness routine. As with any exercise, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting a new regimen.

Daily practice of banded lateral walks for a month significantly improved my knee health.