How To Strengthen Your Vastus Medialis Muscle

Strengthen Your Vastus Medialis To Help Manage Knee Pain

The vastus medialis muscle is a part of your quadriceps muscle group. Vastus medialis often referred to as vastus medialis oblique, or the VMO for short. A relatively small muscle that helps stabilise the kneecap. Commonly regarded as a significant player in the fight against knee pain and/or injury. In physiotherapy strengthening the muscles around the knee is considered important in helping stabilise the knee and prevent injury. When strengthening the knee, your VMO is regularly the muscle given the most attention. Specifically so in situations where anterior knee pain exists.

Simple Isometric Vastus Medialis Exercises:

• Isometric Quadriceps Contraction:Starting position for this variatino is sitting on the floor with your legs out straight in front of you. You may position a rolled up towel underneath your knee, but it can equally be performed without this addition. Palpate your VMO to help feel for muscle activation, ensuring appropriate contraction of the vastus medialis. Once set, tense your quadriceps, sustaining the contraction for a period of around 5-30 seconds.
• Seated Isometric Quadriceps Contraction, Coupled With Adductor Activation: Starting position is sitting raised up high on a chair, with your feet hanging freely. From here, position a ball between your thighs and squeeze against the ball with your inner thigh muscles. Doing so whilst straightening your knees, activating the VMO. Again, consider using palpation of the VMO to ensure the targeted muscle is engaged. Increase hold duration, and repetition numbers as tolerance builds.

Functional Vastus Medialis Muscle Ideas

• Single Leg Squats: Good single leg squat control is a must for many athletes. Crucial in the return to running, jumping… For many physiotherapists the use of single leg squats are as a more advanced stability exercise for the knee. Included as a functional strengthening exercise when isolated (or double leg exercises) are pain free and easy.
• “Single Leg Taps”: As with single leg squats, these are more advanced exercises for engaging the VMO. Single leg taps are one of the many variations of single leg squats. Performing a single leg tap exercise has you maintain a quarter squat position on a single leg. Holding this position you then tap your other foot around your body. Moving around your body like the face of a clock, “tapping” at 15min intervals. The goal is maintaining hip and knee posture, using trunk, hip and knee stabilisers to do so. Including the vastus medialis muscle, which you should feel working strongly. Also referred to as a start excursion exercise.

Challenge Stability With An Unstable Surface

Bosu Squats: Squatting on an unstable surface can help engage the VMO. Performing squats whilst balancing on a Bosu can be a great way to get your vastus medialis muscle engaged. Unstable surfaces can take on several forms. So, if you don’t have access to a Bosu, or balance disc… A rolled up towel or sofa cusion can work nicely to create a suitably unstable surface.

A few other simple exercises ideas for working the quadriceps, and vastus medialis include; performing squats against the wall with a swiss ball positioned behind your back. Or, try a split squat (static lunge) as well as step ups/downs from a modest step or workout bench. Adding weight to any of these exercises works to add load to your vastus medialis muscle, further developing VMO strength. Have your personal trainer, or physiotherapist help adjust and advise on your technique. Some simple guidance can help you choose the right VMO exercises for you, and make sure you’re targeting the muscle correctly. Ensuring you get the most out of your training/rehab sessions.

Disclaimer: Sydney Physio Clinic does not endorse any treatments, procedures, products mentioned. This information is provided as an educational service and is not intended to serve as medical advice. Anyone seeking specific advice or assistance regarding How To Strengthen Your Vastus Medialis Muscle should consult his or her general practitioner, sports medicine specialist, personal trainer or physiotherapist.