5 Best Plyometric Exercises to Help You Prevent Knee Injuries

Plyometric exercises are high-intensity aerobic workouts that improve speed, endurance, and strength. They demand that you use your muscles to their full ability in a short amount of time.

Knee injuries account for about half of all sports-related injuries. They have the ability to put you on the shelf for weeks, months, or even years. Thankfully, knee injuries can be reduced by a combination of high strength, stability, and plyometric workouts, according to research.

Landing correctly will help you avoid injury throughout all plyometric exercises. Land on gentle knees throughout these exercises, but don't forget about alignment. Shoulders should be piled above the knees and feet should be shoulder-width apart.

Maintain a small flexion at the hips with the butt back and torso slanted forward. Keep the pelvis straight to the ground and avoid leaning side to side with your upper body.

Plyometric exercises, often known as jump training, are typically oriented for highly skilled athletes or people in peak physical condition. They can, however, be utilised by people who want to get in better shape.

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Prevent knee injuries with these amazing plyometric exercises

Tendons, ligaments, and lower-extremity joints, particularly the knees and ankles, can be stressed during plyometric exercises. To complete these exercises safely and successfully, you must have the required fitness level.

If you're going to start doing plyometric exercises, start slowly. Exercising time, difficulty, and intensity should be gradually increased.

Check out this list of 5 best plyometric exercises:

1) Jump squats

Jump squats are one of the best plyometric exercises. These are similar to conventional squats, except each rep is preceded by a forceful vertical jump.

Here’s how to do it:

• Keeping your feet shoulder-width wide and core activated, chest up, body in a straight line, then dropping your knees and lowering your butt back as if reaching for a chair, execute a squat.
• To hop as high as you can, drive through your soles, then your midfoot and toes, extending your knees and hips as well as using your forearms to propel yourself higher.
• Bend your knees as soon as you descend to cushion the impact, then instantly transition into a full squat to restart the cycle.
• Rep after rep, move quickly and fiercely.

2) Box jumps

This exercise strengthens your quadriceps, glutes, calves, hips, and hamstrings while also increasing your heart rate. Start with a box that's 8-10 inches tall and work your way up to taller boxes.

Here’s how to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width wide, arms at your sides, and parallel to the floor, facing the box.
• Crouch down and then propel your body upwards with your arms, landing both feet on the box.
• Return to the starting position by jumping backwards and down.

3) Plyometric push ups

Plyometric exercises aren't limited to the lower body. This difficult push-up demands that you generate enough force to lift both hands off the floor at the same time so you may clap in between reps.

Here’s how to do it:

• Start with a typical push-up stance, with your core engaged and hips aligned with your body so that your head-to-heels are in a straight line.
• By folding your elbows and bringing your chest to the floor, lower your body as if you were doing a regular push-up.
• Press firmly into the ground on the way up to propel your complete upper body and arms off the floor (your feet remain on the ground).
• Clap your hands together under your waist quickly, then reposition them shoulder-width apart to catch you as you fall.
• By folding your elbows and lowering your chest towards the floor without entirely contacting them, move into the next push-up quickly and constantly.

4) Tuck jumps

You will achieve improvements in mobility, strength, and balance with this workout. It's useful in athletic training for any task that necessitates quick direction changes.

Here’s how to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
• Bend your knees and jump as high as possible, pushing your knees up to your chest.
• Perform 2–3 sets of 10–12 repetitions.

5) Scissor jumps

This helps to increase the force and strength of your vertical jump.

Here’s how to do it:

• Stride forward into a lunge using your right leg from a standing posture, being sure to keep your right knee level with your foot. In other words, don't let your knee travel past your ankle.
• Press off with your right foot from the lunge and drive your left leg forward on a lunge with your left leg in front and your right leg behind you.
• Continue lunging for 20 reps, alternating legs.