What are the benefits of sledding for rehabilitation, health and strengthening the knees?

What are the origins of the Sled?

The origins of the sled date back to the 19th century, when it was used to transport heavy loads over more or less long distances, mainly in cold environments.

The sled was first used as a mode of transporting goods or people by men or dogs before becoming a form of training.

At this point, we are far from the idea of ​​a tool to strengthen the knees and all the benefits that the sled can have for chasing away pain and strengthening knees.

Pulling relatively heavy loads with sleds over long distances became a common method of physical training in agricultural and military circles in the United States.

The sled as we know it in CrossFit gyms appeared in the early 2000s.

It was at Clemson University in South Carolina that it was popularized by Joey Batson, the American football team's physical trainer.

The tool was then used in the strength world by Louie Simmons , famous physical trainer and owner of the “Westside Barbell”, an equally famous strength and bodybuilding gym.

The sled was popularized with the rise of CrossFit, where it is one of the most used tools for strength and conditioning.

“Knee over toes guy” Ben Patrick considers the sled pull and push to be the best exercises for longevity and the pull to be the best exercise for knee rehabilitation.

This is an exercise he recommends doing every day with a ratio of ⅔ pull ⅓ push!

What are the benefits of sledding for the knees?

An exercise that limits the risk of knee injury to a minimum

The main advantage of sled knee rehabilitation is that, as Ben Patrick says, you move the sled, not the other way around .

In fact, exercises with a bar, and even with body weight, obey the laws of gravity, and thus impose a type of movement on you that you can more or less influence.

With the Sled, if you stop pushing, the sled stops… And that's it.

The same cannot be said if you want to stop a squat when you are on your ass with the weight on your neck!

Technically, one could extrapolate that the sled push/pull removes the eccentric part of the exercise. (In reality, it decreases it and gives it a more “linear” character.)

While the latter is interesting, for example for gaining strength and control, it is sometimes counterproductive on injured joints.

When working on an injured or painful knee , you therefore have maximum room to maneuver to control your movement and your feeling.

The continuous nature of sled exercise and its emphasis on the legs allows for significant blood flow to the tendons and muscles around the knee.

Why sled pull to heal and strengthen knees?

For the rehabilitation and self-rehabilitation aspect of the knee, nothing beats walking backwards and therefore, sled pulling.

The specific biomechanics of the movement help to strengthen the muscles and tendons that are used the least in everyday life and thus stabilize the knee joint.

If you have knee pain, this is the exercise to start with!

An ultimate cardiovascular conditioning exercise

The push sled is a full-body exercise that engages the entire body with a focus on the lower limbs.

It is therefore effective in all phases of training, from warm-up to cooldown.

Try pushing and pulling a 50-kilo sled alternately for 15 minutes non-stop to convince yourself!

One of the best fitness exercises there is!

An exercise to train the foot and ankle

The sled push is also a premium mobility and strength exercise for the feet, especially the toes, as well as the ankle!

You can expect significant gains in the strength you can generate in your toes and in the range of motion in your ankle!

This is all the more interesting when we know that knee pain sometimes arises from weaknesses in the foot-ankle complex.

How to adapt exercise to the sled?

Beginners or injured

There's nothing special to remember, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned sledder. Push/pull the sled while empty.

This will be enough to get the benefits of the sled to get your knees healthy, and become an actor in your rehabilitation.

To progress, load the sled. You can also vary the heights of your push grip.

If the empty cart is really not an option for you, due to injury for example, you can start by simply walking backward!

Walking backward is a very good starting point for starting your knee self-rehabilitation.

What's wrong with the sled?

The sled itself and its measurements…

Absent from most commercial fitness centers in France, you will only find it in certain CrossFit boxes... Which is limiting.

Of course, if you have a large garage or space to train, don't hesitate and invest, you can find them everywhere on the internet!

Otherwise, if you are thinking of installing one at home, know that the sled can become a very versatile tool...

For example, it will be used to mark out goat paths in your garden or redesign your tiles!

It can also develop an advanced level function in marital conflict or even divorce!

What to do when you don't have a sled?

So, if you don't have a dedicated space or CrossFit gym, here are your options.

Buy a small sled and practice wherever you can. However, pushing the sled with your arms will no longer be an option.

A good solution without equipment would be to locate an ascending route, a hill or mountain path, etc.

You will only have to travel it from its low point to its high point, either forward or backward as needed in order to imitate the sled push and the sled pull.

Adjust the difficulty level according to your path.

If you are advanced, you can move on to the “hill sprint”, which is a phenomenal exercise that shares some of the benefits of sledding.

As you improve your movement education, you will also learn to spot pattern similarities so you can always practice.

No paralysis because your room is closed or your machine is unavailable.

There is always a possibility to work on your pain, even without equipment!

This is why we teach you to be independent at Mouvers .

If you want to take control of your knee health, our “Never Have Sore Knees” training will be your guide to self-rehabilitation.

You will find the best mobility and strengthening exercises for your knees, as well as simple but powerful protocols that are easy to implement on a daily basis!

Let's GO!

Nomad Slim
MOUVERS.CO