A Move You Should Do MONDAY – 4-Point Knee Taps

And we’re back! I hope the holiday respite gave your brains a rest and you’re ready to hit the ground running.

This week’s move is the 4-point knee taps, a simple but effective move to activate your abs and your quads in preparation for squatting and lunging. Here’s how to do it:

Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips
Pull your belly button in towards your spine to activate your abdominal muscles
Lift your knees off the floor 3-4 inches then
Gently tap your knees to the floor
Perform 6-10 repetitions.

Why does this matter?

Squatting and lunging are an important part of life yet so many people avoid the squat due to knee pain. A primary cause of knee pain is quadricep weakness, a muscle that can be difficult to activate in the presence of pain. The 4-point knee tap activates the quad in a functional way without requiring you to support your full body weight.

So give the 4-point knee tap a try and activate this key muscle. Try squatting before and after you do this exercise and see if you feel a difference. You knees and low back will thank you.

Because nobody has time to be in pain.

Until next time…