Did you know that when landing from a jump your knees can experience a force that is up to 5 times your own body weight! There’s another thing. Seventy percent of ACL injuries occur in non-contact situations that involve poor landing patterns. Now that complicates things.
The question becomes…. how should I be landing?
It’s all about correct force distribution throughout the lower limbs and torso. To get appropriate levels of joint loading, the body needs an ideal alignment.
We don’t want to see your hip turning inwards – this is making the knee track inside the base of support. This position puts the greatest load on the ACL, dramatically increasing the risk of tear or rupture as well as overloading the tendons around then joint.
For ideal landing pattern you need to remember the following key points;
- Feet shoulder width apart
- Strong through torso (chest tall!)
- Bend through knees and hips, sitting back in semi squat
- Knees forward and outwards on landing
If you are unsure about your own landing pattern, come in for an assessment before you hurt your knee!
