Runner's Knee Exercise: Functional VMO Strengthening

The simple knee strengthening exercise demonstrated in the video above is a real favourite of ours for helping those with running related knee pain build strength in a small but important section of the Vastus Medialis muscle, Vastus Medialis Obliquus (VMO).

N.B. I do appreciate the current debate surrounding VMO - I use the term as many runners will be familiar with it. For the sake of this post, you could also read 'inner-range quads' in place of 'VMO'. For more on the VMO debate, read the comments thread below this post!

The VMO muscle is situated to the inner part of your knee. It forms part of your lower Medial Quadriceps. It has an important role in helping control the knee's alignment through movement and loading.

TIP: We show this exercise performed off a step with a wedge. You can recreate the same exercise off the bottom step of a flight of stairs, with a book or two placed under your heel. This gives the same effect as a wedge.