Researchers used five tests to see if Bracelayer really did help:

• Improve proprioception

• Perception of pain 

• Single leg balance 

• Relative force production. 

You can read and download the full report here, but we also wanted to provide a concise summary here for those looking for one, or having a hard time decoding the medical jargon. Plus, what CSI-P did is actually super cool!

Background

Research has shown that compression gear improves balance and proprioception, and that knee compression can help reduce pain. But no one has studied a garment like Bracelayer and measured its benefits. We thought this information was crucial, not just for us, but for the sport science research community to build upon.

The Tests

Participants attended two testing sessions 2-7 days apart, and were asked at random to either wear a pair of full length Bracelayer compression pants or standard athlete shorts. These tests were performed once, then immediately again after the “fatiguing protocol.” Researchers wanted to see how Bracelayer’s compression pants impacted performance on someone who was already tired from training, as well as someone fresh & ready to go. The “fatiguing protocol” consisted of 30 reps of a hex bar squat, stacked with 50% of the participants body weight. 

Joint Position Sense (Proprioception): In this test, participants extended and flexed their lower leg through a range of motion, as instructed by researchers, without seeing their leg in movement. The goal was to achieve this range of motion without over-extending or flexing the knee joint. After this, the participant’s leg was returned to the starting position and given a 5 second rest. Then, participants were asked to recreate the same joint angle from memory. Researchers used a tool called a “goniometer,” shown in the accompanying image, to measure the angle of the leg.

Single Leg Balance: How long can you balance on one foot? Could you do it for the same amount of time if you had your eyes closed? And what if you’d just done a leg day routine? This is what researchers measured. Participants put their hands on their hips, lifted one leg off the ground, and closed their eyes. Researchers timed how long they could stand on one foot without moving their hands from their hips, opening their eyes, or having their foot touch the ground. Then, they repeated the process on the other leg. All this happened across 3 seconds and multiple trials, and researchers took the 3 second window with the least amount of movement to record and compare. On force platforms, participants were instructed to keep their hands on their hips, lift one leg off the ground, and close their eyes and try to balance for as long as possible. 

Drop and Stick: And he sticks the landing! This test had participants step forward off a 40 cm box and into a partial squat. They landed on force platforms to calculate the time it took participant’s bodies to stabilize their weight. Participants were asked to land softly, yet to reach the position and hold for 5 seconds, repeating three times. (Lower time = a better landing ability.)

If you’re interested in seeing more of these tests in action, you can check out our short video of each test on Youtube. 

CSI-P’s Summary of Key Findings 

What did these tests show researchers?

• Knee proprioception was significantly better when wearing Bracelayer, with joint position error reduced by ~50% compared to control conditions. 

• Single-leg balance and stability were better in the injured limb when wearing Bracelayer, with movement variability over a 1-second window being less than in the control condition. 

• Relative force production of the injured limb during jumping was greater when wearing Bracelayer. 

• This greater force production was maintained even after a fatiguing task. 

• Participants reported significantly lower knee pain while wearing the Bracelayer garment. 

• There were no differences in jump height, power, or landing performance, indicating the compression pants didn't restrict natural or maximal movement.

As researchers expected due to the already existing body of work in this field, Bracelayer’s garment “measurable improvements in knee proprioception, balance, injured-limb force contribution, and perceived pain.”

What does this mean?

Overall, these tests showed that wearing Bracelayer may help: 

• Improve training quality by improving stability and increasing force production in the injured limb. 

• Improve proprioception, which can help prevent reinjury while increasing confidence during training and daily activity

• Maintain natural movement and performance by not interfering with dynamic tasks such as jumping. 

• Provide knee support in activities with high single leg stability and movement demands.

These tests proved what we knew from the jump — that Bracelayer’s compression pants can help improve performance by reducing pain and improving stability. Since 2015, we’ve been changing the supportive apparel game with our compression tights. We’ve helped thousands of people play longer & stronger, and get back to doing the things that they love.

Will you be next?

Shop the full collection here!

What does your base layer do besides keep you warm? 

Even the base layer best ranked for thermal properties, sturdiness, weight, or comfort is probably missing a crucial element: support. Keeping joints warm is essential for preventing injury in cold temperatures. 

So, what are a base layer’s best and most important features?

Thermal rating is a given, but comfort also springs to mind. If you’re putting in long days in the cold, you want to be as comfortable as possible. Choosing a base layer that has fleece-lining can help sweeten the deal, and make getting out there in cold weather to get active or take care of your property much less daunting. After all, is there anything better than being cozy and warm?

A key feature of the best base layer that is often overlooked is compression. Why does compression make a difference? Well, compression gear helps to improve blood flow, which in turn helps to reduce inflammation and swelling, reduce fatigue, and keep you feeling warmer! Reducing fatigue is especially important, as fatigue in cold weather causes the most injuries year-round. (PS: impeded blood flow also causes many injuries in cold weather!)

The average base layer doesn’t have any compression, even those expensive merino wool models that are very trendy right now. If you’re using a base layer without compression, you’re missing out on some major benefits. Moreover, you are more susceptible to injury! Even without cold weather as a factor, compression pants help to improve your proprioception (or body’s sense of its position,) which has also been proven to reduce injury. Therefore, the base layer best for your winter activities certainly contains light to moderate compression.

And perhaps most importantly, your base layer should be supportive. You probably haven’t even considered this very important way your base layer could be doing more for you. Why would you opt for thin merino wool leggings for your base layer that offer no compression or support when you could have built-in support to your most important joint – your knees! Many people experience knee and joint pain in cold weather, and upgrading your base layer could easily solve this problem!

So, all in all, the base layer best for you should be: warm, comfortable, compressive, and supportive!

Why should you upgrade to a compression base layer with knee support?

Well, for all the reasons we have outlined so far, of course! 

But also, because your base layer could be doing more for you. 

Why would you choose a flimsy pair of base layer leggings that barely keep you warm, when you could have the luxury of a comfortable, fleece-lined compression base layer that helps support your most crucial joints and reduce your knee pain? 

Even if you have yet to experience a knee injury, protecting your knees is an incredibly smart choice for your health. One in four adults will experience knee pain and injury in their lifetime. And knee injuries are no joke! Major injuries like ligament and cartilage tears require surgery because our bodies aren’t able to regenerate those types of tissues. 

Just think about all the things you need your knees for! They’re certainly the most crucial joint in your body, in addition to being the largest! If you’re already wearing a base layer for warmth and insulation, why not up your game to protect these valuable joints? It seems like a no-brainer to us!

And if you are experiencing knee pain? Layering up with bulky braces, tape, or compression sleeves adds extra hassle and tedium to something that’s already hard for most of us: keeping up motivation to get out in the winter. If you choose the base layer best for all-around comfort and support, you can ditch the other parts of your gear set-up for one cozy piece of supportive gear. 

Presenting: the compression base layer with knee support by Bracelayer

So, you agree? Your base layer could be doing more for you? 

Great! Glad we’re on the same page.

So where do you find this magical compression base layer, best for not only keeping your lower body warm, providing cozy comfort, and the added bonus of built-in knee support? 

It’s not a hypothermia dream – that base layer exists! It’s affordable, accessible, and available online. It’s Bracelayer’s thermal compression pants with knee support!

Bracelayer’s compression leggings integrate built-in knee support to their designs with the Tri-Tech layer, their innovative support layer. It’s made of the compression fabric that all their base layers are built on, StabiLuxe, medical grade perforated neoprene, and an overlay of compression mesh. The thermal StabiLuxe material that makes up their Alpine collection is not just thermal, it is also antimicrobial, moisture wicking, and equipped with that dreamy fleece lining. Long, sweaty days on the slopes or clearing snow should no longer be intimidating for you with the base layer best for the job! 

You’ll never regret investing in your health. But you may regret not investing in your health, or even taking it seriously.

Check out the Alpine collection of compression base layers for men and women by Bracelayer!

Though it is known for being popular amongst seniors, pickleball’s age demographic is rapidly dropping. The average age of a pickleball player is now approximately 35 after the massive surge in 2023. More and more young people are getting into pickleball, but seniors are still a fast growing demographic group. 

Many recreational players get into pickleball because it is a low-impact option to experience some camaraderie and competitive spirit while staying active. But is pickleball bad for knees? Especially those who have seen years worth of wear-and-tear already? 

Pickleball Knee Injuries

While pickleball is generally seen as low-impact and safe for most participants, even those who have had a knee replacement surgery, injuries can still occur. Doctors have noted that pickleball injuries are rising with the sport’s popularity. Pickleball can in fact be hard on your knees, but it is much easier on them than other racquet sports such as tennis, partially because the courts are so small.

You might experience knee pain after pickleball games for a number of reasons. Pickleball requires a lot of lateral movement, stopping and starting abruptly, and lunging for balls. All of these motions can strain muscles, especially ones that are not properly conditioned.

There are plenty of acute injuries that can occur on a pickleball court due to motions like pivoting and lunging, but overall, pickleball players are more susceptible to repetitive strain injuries than anything. It’s not unheard of to experience an injury as serious as a meniscus or anterior cruciate ligament tear while playing pickleball, but it is not overly likely. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be careful!

As we suggest in our injury prevention tips below, try to be mindful and notice if you are repeating any movements in a way that is beginning to cause strain. You should be able to correct the pattern before any major injuries occur, but you should also consult your doctor if the pain is intense or recurring.

How to prevent injuries from pickleball

There are a few steps you can take to prevent injuries to your knees while playing any kind of sport, and many of these are applicable to pickleball as well.

To avoid knee injuries during pickleball, try these tips:

1. Stretch and warm up before playing: Be sure to take the time to warm-up before any type of physical activity. This is perhaps the best way to prevent injuries. Get your blood flowing, acclimate muscles to exercise, and work out any kinks and sore spots before pushing yourself to your limits.
2. Drink plenty of water: What isn’t water good for? Hydration is key for optimal health, so be sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.
3. Listen to your body: Take breaks as needed, stretch when it feels intuitive for you, and don’t play past your limits! If you’re starting to feel strain or pain, call it a day. Don’t keep pushing yourself!
4. Practice your footwork: Incorporating footwork drills and other exercises that target core muscles used in pickleball will help keep you strong and injury-free! Pickleball requires a lot of lateral movement and stops-and-starts, so be sure to incorporate exercises to strengthen your legs and knees. We have some suggestions for that in other blog posts such as 10 Quad Strengthening Exercises for Bad Knees (which includes lateral walks with or without a resistance band, a great starting point!)
5. Do more than just play ball: As stated, many if not most pickleball injuries come from repetitive strain, so be sure to switch it up sometimes! You might find that incorporating some more serious weight training occasionally is the best way for you to keep yourself toned and ready, but perhaps simply doing some resistance training or going for more walks is enough to keep you active on the off-days. Frequent exercise off the court will reduce the risk of cardiovascular strain while you’re on it.
6. Wear compression gear: Did you know that compression garments are proven to reduce injuries? There are a number of reasons for this, such as compression garments improving circulation, which reduces swelling and inflammation, and improving proprioception. Compression garments range from mildly supportive to extremely supportive, and it’s worth looking into the different types to determine what’s best for you!

The best knee support for pickleball!

If you’re concerned about seriously injuring your knee while playing pickleball, or if you have been experiencing knee pain during exercise at all, you should consider adding some support! Sometimes compression garments themselves can be supportive, but other times you may want a little bit more targeted support. We have a great suggestion for that!

Introducing Bracelayer’s knee brace compression pants: the perfect low-profile knee support for pickleball players! Our pants combine all the benefits of compression garments with the support of a compression knee sleeve. Bonus: the knee sleeves won’t fall down as you shuffle around the court, as they are firmly attached to the pants themselves! No more stopping every few steps to tug up your knee support brace.

Hardcore pickleball players LOVE our pants for helping keep their knees secure and stable on the court. See some of the reviews for yourself!

Shop Bracelayer’s compression pants with knee support for pickleball!

Sometimes, you need a search engine or blog post to tell you the answer to a question you’re too scared or embarrassed to ask anyone. That’s okay! That’s why we’re here for you.

As the designers of the original knee stabilizing compression pants, we feel uniquely qualified to answer this question and put your mind at ease. And besides, there’s really no need to be embarrassed about such a practical concern.

So: do you wear underwear with compression pants?

The short answer is: if you want to! No one can stop you from going commando if that’s what feels good to you. However, for hygienic reasons, we highly recommend wearing underwear with compression leggings.

Of course, the primary function of underwear is to keep your outer garments from getting dirty from various bodily fluids – and vice versa! This is why we highly recommend choosing to wear underwear with your compression pants.

Underwear has a very fascinating history, certainly worth a deep (or Wikipedia) dive! Human beings started with loincloths to keep the important bits covered and protected, and over time underwear evolved to be more comprehensive and cover more of the body. Then, around the mid-late 20th century, underwear styles began to sway towards a  “less is more” ideology. Preferences for underwear design varies from person to person, and culturally it varies vastly by region and across many demographics, so take this summary for what it is – simply a brief summary.

There are plenty of other reasons for certain underwear designs, usually ranging from modesty to the lack of it. There are also many religious groups whose members are required to wear certain types of undergarments. Perhaps most well-known to North Americans is the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are required to wear certain “Temple garments” for ceremonies. 

Women’s Underwear to Wear with Compression Pants

Potential underwear choices for women who wear compression garments are pretty straightforward. The rise of athleisure culture firmly solidified the prevalence of thong and g-string style underwear for women. If you are unfamiliar, these garments are made of a thin fabric which completely covers the genitals, but tapers off to a narrow band of fabric or elastic as it travels under the pelvis and towards the backside. The intended effect of these types of underwear is to minimize bulk and the appearance of lines on the wearer’s rear-end. If you didn’t know, it’s socially unacceptable to have the lines of your underwear showing from underneath your clothes to many people in the western world. Just FYI!

And that’s not to say men can’t wear underwear in this style! After all, look at the jock strap! The “thong” style is certainly available to men, should they choose it. Again, we won’t judge you! This is a safe space where all underwear choices are accepted and celebrated. (However, we feel we must stress again the crucial point that underwear exists mostly for hygiene purposes!)

Men’s Underwear to Wear with Compression Pants

We find that we get the question of “do you wear underwear with compression pants?” mostly from men. Especially men who are perhaps new to the compression tight game. And we get it – while women’s underwear adapted long ago to fit seamlessly with tight spandex athletic garments, men’s underwear has yet to catch up. From the braies to the codpiece, to modern day Calvin Klein and beyond… Men’s underwear has made quite a journey. And yet, most designs of men’s underwear are bulky and don’t layer particularly well with tight, form fitting clothing.

To get a tad philosophical, perhaps the reason the question of if one should wear underwear with compression pants stems from the outdated belief that leggings are for women and not men. To this day, there is an active community on Quora to “teach” men how to wear leggings “properly” called “Men CAN wear leggings!” Sometimes, brands or influencers who promote men’s leggings refer to them as “meggings,” an attempt to reframe a clothing option considered to be socially unacceptable. 

But the reality is that many men wear leggings – even three years ago, Men’s Health magazine was encouraging readers to rock their leggings! It seems like everyone wants to wear leggings, and why wouldn’t they? Especially compression leggings, which have many proven health and performance benefits! Basically, gents, you can and should wear leggings if you want to. It’s 2024! Nobody thinks your compression pants are weird anymore. Just like eggs for breakfast, you’re weird for thinking they're weird.

Anyway, what underwear should you wear with compression pants? If you want to wear some, and we don’t want to tell you what to do, but we think the best underwear to layer with compression pants (such as Bracelayer’s knee compression pants) would likely be a pair of thin briefs. There are many different brands of men’s underwear that make thin, breathable, and moisture wicking briefs, which would all be a great option. The brief style would prevent the rolling and bunching that may occur when longer boxer-style underwear are layered underneath compression pants. If you’re unsure of where to even start looking for your perfect underwear to wear with compression pants, perhaps start with this listicle by Esquire of the 13 Best Pairs of Underwear for Men, Tested & Reviewed.

So, TL;DR…

Do you wear underwear with compression pants? If you want!

Should you wear underwear with compression pants? Probably!

We hope this helps!

(Some men prefer to wear shorts over their compression pants -- Men's Health has encouraged men to rock their tight compression leggings, and we do too! But we also encourage you to wear shorts over your compression pants if that's what makes you most comfortable!)

It may seem counterintuitive to strengthen knees by strengthening an entirely different area of the body, but hear us out. When one or more of your muscle groups are considerably weaker than the others, it means your body will naturally use another group of muscles to compensate, adding strain elsewhere in your body. 

Previously, we have blogged about 10 Quad Strengthening Exercises for Knee Pain. Now, we’re continuing that series with glute exercises for knee pain.

As with our quadriceps blog post, we’ve listed these exercises in order from most to least difficult to perform, as well as including any variations in weight or form that should make the movements accessible to anyone. If you find yourself having a hard time doing any of these exercises, I highly recommend checking out this post by WebMD, which has very simple exercises to target specific activities that folks with knee pain and a low fitness level might find useful.

What are the glutes?

The gluteal muscles (commonly referred to as “the glutes”) are comprised of 3 major muscles: 

1. The gluteus medius – Probably best described in layman’s terms as the topmost gluteal muscle, this is also the most underworked muscle of the glutes.
2. The gluteus maximus – This muscle is mostly what we think of when we think of “the glutes.” It is the largest of the three muscles and covers most of the posterior area. 
3. The gluteus minimus – As the Latin name suggests, this is the smallest of the three gluteal muscles. It is underneath the gluteus medius. 

The glutes are an often underutilized muscle group, but they should not be underestimated. Like your quad muscles, they are extremely large and can be powerful when loaded with targeted strength training. 

6 Glute Exercises for Knee Pain

Banded lateral walk

As DJ Casper once famously sang: slide to the left! Or the right! Really, as long as you’re moving to one side, this exercise will do the trick. 

Adding a resistance band is a great way to increase difficulty and build strength. Beginning with some moderate resistance is a good place to start for most people.

What you’ll need: A resistance band of appropriate strength for your capabilities.

Variations: This exercise is relatively easy, and so it’s unlikely you will need to modify it. If you want to begin simply with the motion, however, you can certainly do so. 

How to do it: Loop your resistance band around your ankles and, with knees slightly bent, step to the side. Move your other foot to join your feet together and repeat for your desired number of reps. 

Glute bridges

This is one of the best-known glute exercises for knee pain that should be a workout staple! 

What you’ll need: An exercise mat to stabilize your body and provide grip for your feet to push against. You can also add a resistance band, weight plate, or kettlebell if you choose. 

Variations: Knee Pain Explained has several modifications to “progress” your glute bridges, taking them from easy to challenging. Some of these variations include “heel bridges,” adding a resistance band across your midsection, or looping a resistance band around your knees.

How to do it: Lying on your back, preferably on an exercise mat, set your feet flat on the floor with your knees pointing upwards. Use your glutes to lift the middle of your body up as far as you can, hinging at the shoulders. Press firmly into your shoulders and feet. Slowly lower yourself back towards the ground, but don’t completely settle your weight back on the floor if you want a real challenge. 

Clamshells

They’re exactly what they sound like! Imagine making a clamshell out of your knees. That’s it!

What you’ll need: Yourself and any resistance bands you need to feel the burn!

Variations: This exercise is also relatively beginner-friendly, but if you need to complete a session or two without added weight from resistance bands, that’s totally fine!

How to do it: While laying on your side, draw your legs up so that your knees are out in front of you. Then, hinging at the hips and ankles, lift your top knee. Hold at the top, then slowly lower your knee back down. Don’t let it settle completely on your thigh to make the exercise properly challenging.

Hip thrusts

This exercise can really make a difference in your glute and hip strength quickly. I would consider it moderately challenging, but still not too strenuous if your knees are a bit sore. It doesn’t require the knee to move far outside its typical range of motion, unlike the squat, and can be used as a stepping zone to building greater strength and mobility.

What you’ll need: A weight bench or, if you’re working out at home, a couch is a great substitute! Be sure to also grab any additional weight plates (with or without a barbell) or kettlebells to increase difficulty as needed.

Variations: You can (and probably should) start this without any additional weight to get comfortable with the form and motion. It can be a bit awkward to perform, and the more comfortable you are with the motion, the more confident you will feel.

How to do it: Sit on the floor beside your couch or weight bench, with your back against it. Load up any weight you want to add across your hips – a barbell should sit across where your femur connects to your hip bone. Pushing into your shoulders and your feet, squeeze your glutes to raise your hips until your mid-body is straight. Your shins should remain vertical and your core engaged. Pause at this stage for extra burn! Then, slowly lower yourself until your lower back body is about 45 degrees from the floor – try not to completely settle your weight on the ground to get the full force of the exercise. 

Deadlifts

Like squats, the deadlift is a very versatile exercise that can target different lower-body muscle groups based on how you approach your form. Train Heroic has an excellent resource on variations of deadlifts to target your glutes, hamstrings, or quadriceps. So does Men’s Health!

What you’ll need: Dumbbells of an appropriate weight or a barbell with weight plates.

Variations: If you’re a beginner, starting without weight or with just a barbell is a great way to encourage proper form and start building muscle in vulnerable areas.

How to do it: This is an exercise that may be easier to understand when presented visually, so go ahead and check out either of the links presented above, or this Youtube video by Ruth Maleski! 

Glute targeted squats (sometimes called “Goblet Squats”):

Dropping your backside deeper into the movement than the more common quad-focused squat, which was outlined in our previous blog post, will help you engage those glutes.

What you’ll need: Yourself and any additional weight you would like to add.

Variations: Unlike the hamstring squat, the glute targeted squat is harder to modify. Since it requires dropping deep down, it does place more strain on the knees. This is an exercise that should be worked up to, especially if you are experiencing intense knee pain. But once you’ve started to improve your leg strength with these targeted exercises, the glute-focused squat will help you round out your training. At the gym, you might see people using wedges or a weight plate to elevate their heels during this exercise. This is great to do on quad day, but you’ll want to stay flat footed to work your glutes.

How to do it: Like the deadlift, it’s probably easier to get the finer points on how to make your squat truly glute-focused by watching a video. We recommend this video by Team Evolve on Youtube. But just briefly, the highlights are: feet turned slightly out, squat by moving your backside down and behind you, just slightly past parallel.

When to add extra knee support

Knee pain is insidious, affecting a large range of the body’s natural motion. Once it starts, it can be hard to perform the necessary movement to strengthen muscle groups that will help stop it. Adding extra knee support can help provide not only stability, but confidence that your knees will carry you through challenges.

If you’re not sure what type of knee support is right for you, you might want to check out our blog post: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Knee Support Brace. Every kind of conventional knee support will have its pros and cons, but there should be something out there that will help you!

But Bracelayer came onto the scene with those pros and cons in mind. It knows that many people benefit from the compression and support of conventional knee sleeves, but hate that they’re always sliding down. And knee braces, too! We saw the need for dedicated knee support that combined all the benefits of compression athletic wear, and the knee stabilizing compression pant was born!

Bracelayer compression pants are built on an antibacterial compression fabric base, with a medical grade, perforated neoprene layer around the knees, covered with compression mesh for a little bit of extra support. They come in a variety of stylish, multi-sport designs with something for everyone! For example, our thermal leggings (Alpine designs) are the perfect base layer for those who like to get active outdoors. The KS designs feature a drawstring waistband and phone pockets, ideal for runners, gym workouts, and aerobic exercisers. We even have designs specifically for cycling and hockey!

A little bit of extra support may be just the extra push you need to take action, strengthen those muscles around your knees, and get rid of knee pain for good. Bracelayer pants are proven to not only help reduce pain, but prevent further injury and encourage healing.

And don’t just take our word for it! Here’s some testimonials from others who have loved their knees again thanks to Bracelayer!

• "I love the compression tights. I feel my squats are much better with the help of the reinforced knees. I hope you come out with more gear." - Rob C.
• "My 16 year old daughter dislocated her knee six months ago and has been wearing a knee brace since. She loves the pants because now she can go skiing without it and loves the feeling and look of them. As a fitness instructor myself they help with the on and off knee pain. Going to get a pair for my soccer player son too!" - Rocio C.
• "Instant relief. I so appreciate the support I get from these compression pants! Excellent product." - Kristen S.
• "Just wanted to let you know my 1st impressions of the Men's KX1 and KX2 pants. I have had a total of 11 knee surgeries so I recently purchased the afore mentioned products. First impression: Outstanding! The fit, feel and compression are perfect. After a gruelling 'leg day' I normally struggle for the next couple days. Not anymore. My knees feel great, and the glutes, quads, and calves all have recovered far more quickly." - George D. 
• "I love my Bracelayer tights. Have had 2 knee replacements and figured I'd try these for walking on cold mornings. They’re like my security blanket." - Lizzy

There seems to be an unwritten rule that you’re allowed to call yourself a real runner if someone has told you how awful running is for your knees is at least once. Or if someone has complained to you that they could never be a runner because their knees hurt too bad. 

It's widely believed that running is bad for your knees, despite heaps of evidence that it actually is not. Research from Stanford, published in 2023, suggests that running is not bad for your knees and, when done properly, will actually strengthen your joints. So why do we still believe running is bad for us? And if you are experiencing knee pain when running, what can be done about it?

Tales from an unlikely runner

Despite once believing that running was one of the most idiotic and harmful activities a person could do to their body, I started running at the end of November in 2023. I was convinced that running was inherently painful. I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to do it. I had tried to take up running off and on as a teenager, but my primary goal was always weight loss. I didn’t care about proper form, strengthening my muscles and joints, the mental health benefits, or any other long term goals.

When I started running this time, it was joyful. My primary love is hiking, and I had been taking long walks to keep decently in shape during the off season. Once the exercise endorphins kicked in, I found myself actually craving a run. (I was probably the same feeling that a dog gets during “zoomies.”) So one day, I gave it a try.

My fitness level was at its peak for that time, so I was surprised to find that running was easier and more enjoyable than I had ever remembered it to have been. And I kept going! There have been really challenging times and painful moments, but as I researched proper form, warm-ups and strength training exercises, and proper equipment, I had a very important realization.

Running should not be painful. Physical activity in general should not be painful. If you’re experiencing pain while exercising, something is wrong.

Sometimes it’s you, sometimes it's your equipment. Often, it’s both.

What causes knee pain when running?

The majority of runners experience knee pain or knee injuries at some point in their training. There are a number of reasons for this.

First, knees are shock absorbers. Your joints and cartilage work to absorb the stress of movement, not unlike a car’s shock system. When running, the amount of force they need to absorb is heightened by the type of action and often by the surfaces. Hard surfaces like pavement reflect more force back up into the body. 

Second, running form. Most people who experience pain while running or find it unpleasant are probably running with improper form. When I first started running as a teenager, the idea of "proper form" didn't occur to me. As an adult, I knew that proper form existed, but I thought it would be instinctual and automatic. It’s not. For me, at least. 

Third, bad equipment. Wearing poorly fitting running shoes and even clothing can greatly throw off your practice. If you have the means to invest in proper gear, this will save you a lot of pain in the long term to do so.

So, with these things in mind, here is how to get rid of knee pain when running.

Proper stretches and warm-up

In almost every blog we post, we emphasize warming up as one of the most important steps in preventing and healing knee pain. That's because its importance cannot be overstated. It’s really easy to want to skip or at least skimp on your warm up, especially if you’re tired or busy. But your warm up is the most crucial part of any type of exercise, and focusing on it will majorly boost your progress in many ways.

Here are some great warm up exercises for runners:

1. Lunges and quad stretches: Lunges are a classic and a staple for a reason. As a static stretch or a dynamic exercise, lunges help “load” the hamstrings and glutes for running. They also stretch out and strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee, preparing you for your run.
2. Hip mobility exercises: Hips are complicated. They have a variety of muscles and muscle groups, as well as multiple planes of motion. Working on their mobility, flexibility, and strength is essential to proper running form. Run to the Finish has a great article on several different exercises to help gear up your hips for a run, including classic (deep) squats, knee drives, and 90/90 stretches.
3. Lower back and hamstring stretches: You can’t go wrong with some toe touches! I like to pepper them throughout my run, too. Like lunges, there are a lot of great variations to really get at ‘em – Marathon Handbook has a few prepared here.
4. Running backwards: Social media sensation Ben Patrick, better known as @kneesovertoesguy, popularized walking backwards to improve knee pain. Like the backwards sled pull, moving backwards in this way helps to strengthen the muscles around your knee, leading to healthier movement when going forward. Patrick recommends beginning this at a walk, which is also a good exercise for runners, but doing it for a few paces at a gentle jog is also extremely beneficial. Running backwards helps align you to your proper centre of gravity, get your feet underneath you, and land properly on your foot, which is on the mid to top of your foot. You should NOT be landing on your heels when running, as this is a one-way ticket to knee pain and shin splints.
5. Falling into a run: This one is perhaps more easily explained with a visual than with a description, so check out this video to see what I mean. To get truly warmed up for your run, and start engaging proper running form, try falling into a run from both a standstill and a walk. This will help you:

• Lean forward, giving your body momentum to increase pace and power through when you begin to tire out.
• Get your legs and knees directly underneath you instead of ahead of you
• Force you to land on your mid-front foot and NOT on your heel

Proper running form

How to use proper running form is more easily shown as a visual than in a written explanation. Youtubers and TikTokers like Abby Pollock have great videos on technique.

As mentioned in the warm up sections, you should practice falling forward into a run to achieve proper form. This doesn’t stop after the warm up. In the warm up version, you should only run a few paces before coming back to a brisk walk. To encourage proper form, fall into your run and keep the momentum. 

Some other things to remember:

• Falling into a run will naturally encourage proper form, but be sure to land on the middle to upper part of your foot.
• Engage your core muscles, but don’t clench up: a gentle cough will demonstrate just how engaged your abdominal muscles should be.
• Lean forward slightly to increase momentum, but don’t hinge from your hips.
• Relax your shoulders and hands to conserve energy.
• Move arms from front to back, never across your body. Moving your arms front to back helps add momentum to propel you forward; swinging arms across yourself uses more energy and doesn’t add momentum.

Invest in quality gear: 

Running is all about your lower body. While the condition and position of your upper body has a part to play, primarily, as a runner you will be concerned about conditioning your legs. But all the strength training and form adjustments in the world won’t fix the problems caused by ill-fitting and unsupportive equipment.

Wearing good running shoes is half the battle. At Bracelayer, we know quite a bit about knees. Our knowledge about feet and shoes, however, is much more limited. We know that wearing good, supportive shoes during exercise and leisure is a great way to prevent knee and joint pain, though, so running is no different. 

To learn about running shoes, we suggest checking out a source like Runner’s World – or better yet, going into your local running store for a fitting. 

Compression gear for running

Should runners wear compression gear? Along with all the other proven benefits, a 2016 study in Sports Medicine shows that compression gear improved runners' time to exhaustion, running economy, perceived exertion, muscle power, and markers of damage and inflammation. It also greatly impacted the “post-exercise leg soreness and the delay in onset of muscle fatigue,” which, put plainly, means that participants in this study experienced less muscle soreness later after their run. A similar study from 2017 also found that use of a “lower limb compression garment significantly reduced muscle soreness” and “accelerated recovery.” 

But what are the best compression pants for running? Athletic wear is a massive industry, and there are many brands that carry compression pants. However, given the amount of runners that suffer from runner’s knee, IT band syndrome, and other knee-related injuries, the ideal compression pants for runners should also contain some level of knee support… just like Bracelayer’s knee stabilizing compression pants.

Bracelayer’s pants contain a built-in knee support layer. The unique Tri-Tech layer contains compression fabric, perforated neoprene, and an overlay of compression mesh. Depending on the design of the compression leggings, there are different amounts of support. For example, the KX2 has the thickest Tri-Tech layer (2mm), whereas the other designs have 1.5mm support layers. 

We’ve recommended our KS collection for runners before, and this new runner is also a big fan! Every run I’ve gone on since that fateful first one in November, I’ve worn my KS1 compression pants. I love the feeling of the support and stability the Tri-Tech layer gives me. I don’t have to worry about one little misstep giving me knee pain or worse, a knee injury, derailing my progress, and keeping me from something I now love to do. 

The phone pockets are a real asset and haven’t stretched out and loosened up with use. The yoga-style, drawstring waistband is also a huge win! Women know – other athletic leggings tend to roll down over your stomach with every step, meaning you’re constantly having to tug them up. Not Bracelayer’s compression pants! They stay in place.

So, if you’re worried about if running is actually bad for your knees, or experiencing some pain, try adding some knee support while running. We believe Bracelayer’s knee brace compression pants are for you! Give them a try – we promise you’ll love them! And here are some reviews from other runners who have loved them too.

Shop all of Bracelayer’s knee stabilizing compression pants today!

“How long do your compression pants last?”

“How durable are your compression pants?”

“How often do you need to wash your Bracelayer® pants?”

So today, we thought we would give you a detailed care guide and more information about the fabric our compression pants are constructed of.

The Innovative Tri-Tech Layer

Bracelayer’s knee stabilizing compression pants contain a Tri-Tech layer around the knees, and in some designs, around the hips. The three materials in this layer are: the Stabiluxe™ compression fabric base, the medical grade, perforated neoprene layer, and the compression mesh layer. Each of these materials is essential to the unique structure and revolutionary performance of our pants. The thickness of the Tri-Tech support layer varies between pant designs, with the KS collection having a 1.5mm Tri-Tech layer and the KX collection having a 2mm one.

The Stabiluxe™ compression fabric requires a thorough explanation, unlike the compression mesh and neoprene layers. The neoprene that comprises the middle layer of our pants is very similar to the kind used in conventional compression knee sleeves. The difference is that unlike conventional knee sleeves, ours are built right into your pants, meaning they won’t fall down or need to be adjusted every few steps. They stay exactly where they’re supposed to for the ideal amount of compression and targeted support.

What is Stabiluxe™?

Our pants are constructed on a Stabiluxe™ synthetic fabric base, with varying weights and incorporated technologies. Depending on your activity and support needs, you will want to factor the fabric construction of the style of Bracelayer® compression pants you are purchasing into your decision. For example, the Stabiluxe™ fabric in any of our Alpine pants contains thermal temperature control technology. The fabric that our KS1 Vent pants are constructed on also contains temperature control technology, but it’s cooling fabric instead. Our KX1 and KX2 are made of the thickest Stabiluxe™ fabric for extra compression and support, whereas the KXV is constructed on Stabiluxe+™ fabric and are our most lightweight pant.

A common misconception about synthetic fabrics is that they are always bad – this is simply not true. In fact, Unsustainable Magazine, amongst many other sources, notes that both natural and synthetic fabrics have their pros and cons, and natural does not necessarily equal good or sustainable. Synthetic fabrics have a number of benefits and are essential to the construction of certain types of garments, and one of the types of garments is athletic gear. Synthetic fabrics, like our Stabiluxe™ compression base, are designed for high performance. They wick moisture, are resistant to debris, and are more durable when faced with extreme conditions. 

Conversely, a fabric like cotton will hold onto moisture, meaning every drop of sweat will sink into your clothing, causing smell and often stains. A fabric like cotton also won’t provide you with protection from the elements. Since it holds onto so much water, it takes an incredibly long time to dry, making it potentially a deadly choice in extreme cold temperatures. A standard cotton garment also won’t hold in your body heat in the way a synthetic fabric, like our Stabiluxe™ and Stabiluxe+™ thermal fabric, which is designed for that purpose, that will.

One of the other most important features of Stabiluxe™ material is that it is antibacterial. This means that not only will very little sweat or outside moisture seep into the fabric, but the sweat that remains won’t fester or grow in the material of your pants. You know the often invoked stench of smelly gym socks? That smell is caused by harmful bacteria build up in athletic gear. Yuck! But because of its antibacterial treatment, you won’t encounter that smell wafting from your Bracelayer® pants.

How often should you wash your Bracelayer pants? 

Just because the antibacterial treatment of our Stabiluxe™ fabric is designed to keep you odour-free and playing longer and stronger, that doesn’t mean you should never wash your Bracelayer® pants. 

Like any piece of clothing, the less you can wash it, the longer it will last. We know you train hard, and that’s why we made our pants so durable and antibacterial. Even with all the wear you get out of your pants, they shouldn’t need to be washed more than once every three or four uses. Though the fabric is resistant to any kind of debris, try spot-cleaning between washes if necessary to reduce the amount of machine washes your pants must endure.

When it is time to give your Bracelayer® pants a wash, make sure to wash in cold water and hang to dry. We do not recommend putting your Bracelayer® pants in the dryer. We also suggest using as little detergent and fabric softener as possible – don’t overdo it on the chemicals!

There are a few reasons for these care tips:

1. High heat causes the neoprene layer to break down and the anti-bacterial treatment of the Stabiluxe™ compression fabric to wash away. This means that you will actually be making your pants less effective the more often you wash them!
2. Detergent and fabric softener contain a number of chemicals that interact with the fabric in many different ways. Fabric softener in particular will also break down the Stabiluxe™ and neoprene faster.
3. In addition to the heat of the dryer causing the fabric to break down, the aggressive tumbling of the dryer weakens the fabric of your clothing as well. (It’s also more environmentally friendly to hang your clothes out to dry. Just a thought!)

How long will Bracelayer® pants last?

Our pants are designed to last for the long haul. If cared for properly, as suggested, we calculate that they should last about as long as a good pair of running shoes. However, the mileage on your long haul may still vary. Bracelayer® compression pants worn every day for 6 months will wear down a lot faster than a pair worn once a week for 6 months.

Much like how if you love your knees, they’ll love you back: if you love your Bracelayer® pants, they will love you back! Take good care of your pants and you will be surprised at just how long they will last you. 

Shop the full collection of Bracelayer’s knee stabilizing compression pants now!

If you’ve experienced a knee injury, knee surgery, or a total knee replacement, your doctor may require you to wear a knee brace. These braces should be straightforward and user friendly, but you may have questions about how to properly use your knee brace that you felt too silly to ask. Like can you sleep in a knee brace? How do you wash and care for a knee brace? Do you wear a knee brace under or over pants?

First, there’s no need to feel silly. Thousands of other custom knee brace wearers have asked the same questions! Take a look at this Reddit forum, for example.

So, down to business!

Do knee braces go over pants?

The short answer is: sometimes. If you feel like you need extra support and stability, protection against skin abrasion, or want to keep your knee brace in place, wearing your knee brace over pants can be a good idea. But not all pants are created equal. You might want to opt for pants that are designed to be worn under a knee brace — and yes, we'll tell you where to find some!

At some point, you've probably wondered how to wear a knee brace with jeans. While it may be tempting to wear your knee brace over jeans or other thick, everyday pants, it might not be the most comfortable. Sure, it might stop a knee brace from sliding down, a common complaint about the devices. But it also may encourage chafing and skin irritation, which can even be a problem when a knee brace is worn directly against the skin, as is often recommended. Not to mention that wearing a knee brace over pants will alter the desired fit of your knee brace, especially if it is a custom knee brace from a manufacturer like DonJoy, Ossur, or Bauerfiend. 

Note that many of these knee brace brands will have their own guides and information about how to wear their products. It’s a good idea to consult those! For example, Bauerfiend suggests that you should choose a lightweight, breathable, and moisture wicking pant to wear underneath your knee brace, if you would like to wear some kind of pants. 

You can wear a knee brace under jeans, but that still doesn't solve many of the problems and little annoyances that custom knee braces often come with, like discomfort and skin irritation. Not to mention that pesky bit about distal migration, the term used to describe knee braces sliding down. So, really, your options with loose fitting pants are kind of limited, and it comes down to the user’s choice.

Do you wear knee support under or over leggings?

If you’ve been asking: can I wear my knee brace over pants or can I wear my knee brace over jeans, you may or may not have considered opting for a form fitting, breathable pair of pants instead of bulky, loose fitting ones. The next question is: should you wear a knee brace under or over leggings? 

Wearing leggings under a knee brace is a great option to prevent skin irritation and help hold your brace in place. Many people who wear custom knee braces opt to wear them over leggings or tights. Tights or leggings will add much less bulk under a knee brace, therefore keeping the intended fit about the same. 

How to wear a knee brace over pants:

While you can technically wear a knee brace over any pair of pants, you might want to consider investing in a pair of pants that were actually designed to be worn under custom knee braces.

But does such a thing exist? It certainly does.

Bracelayer’s knee stabilizing compression pants were originally designed to be worn under custom knee braces. Our CEO and founder, Dan Tognotti, was frustrated by years of knee injuries, instability, and the complications of custom knee braces. That’s why he designed Bracelayer’s compression leggings!

We’ve written before on how Bracelayer’s compression pants help keep knee braces in place, including why they might slide down in the first place. What you really need to know is that the texture of the compression mesh layer of our unique Tri-Tech support layer provides excellent grip for knee braces, locking them in place while also providing targeted knee support and compression.

As recommended by Bauerfiend for optimal success layering a knee brace over pants, Bracelayer's pants are made of a moisture-wicking compression fabric to keep you dry and prevent skin irritation! If temperature control is a concern, we also have a design with behind-the-knee ventilation for extra air flow (the KS1 Vent!) And on top of all that, compression gear is proven to have a number of benefits, including increasing circulation to reduce swelling and inflammation, aiding in recovery after intense exercise or injury. These aren’t your average leggings!

Knee brace compression pants for all!

If you came to this page to find out if you can wear knee braces over pants, you are probably hoping to do just that. But just so you know, Bracelayer compression pants don’t have to be worn under a knee brace. They provide knee support all on their own, thanks to the Tri-Tech support layer. 

Compression fabric, perforated, medical grade neoprene, and compression mesh create the effect of a built-in compression knee sleeve, except this knee sleeve won’t roll down or cause skin irritation. It will stay right where it needs to be, providing targeted support to your largest and most vulnerable joint. 

Though our pants were designed to be worn under knee braces, our knee stabilizing technology is helpful for knees at any stage: recovering from injury, experiencing the first steps of knee pain, or those hoping to prevent injury.

Bracelayer® pants support you every step of your journey and can help to relieve knee pain. 

Shop the full collection of Bracelayer's knee stabilizing compression pants today!

Disclaimer: Our team at Bracelayer® Apparel are not doctors. We do, however, set out to help people with knee pain find relief, increase their stability and balance during physical activity, heal from and prevent further injury. All we can really suggest is that you know the risks and make an informed decision for yourself about your body.

And moreover, as with any medical change, consult with your doctor before making decisions.

 

If you’re experiencing the first pangs of knee joint pain, you might not be ready to rush off to the doctor or invest in an expensive custom knee brace. Instead, you might be wondering if there is a natural knee pain remedy or two that you can try first.

Of course, if you’re finding your knee pain to be debilitating and greatly impairing your daily function, consulting a doctor is essential. But often, making adjustments to diet, exercise, and even clothing can help relieve knee pain naturally and without a doctor’s intervention. If you’d like to try some at home remedies for knee pain, we have a few suggestions of what’s worked for our team.

Also note that like any good thing, building up your joint health and strength takes time. You might see results within a few days using some of these home joint remedies, but it might take much longer. Taking care of your body, however, is always a worthwhile investment.

How to help joint pain naturally:

1. Change up your diet: Embarking on a joint pain relief diet doesn’t have to mean making huge lifestyle changes. Adding some things to your diet, taking some new supplements, OR removing things from your diet might address some imbalances and reduce your joint pain at home. 

• Eat to reduce inflammation: While we don’t recommend any specific all-in-one natural joint pain relief supplements, or that you should necessarily believe anyone who says they can sell you one, there are natural ways to reduce inflammation.
• Foods that cause inflammation: Most foods that cause inflammation are exactly what you would think, and health organizations like the Rheumatology and Allergy Institute of Connecticut, to name one, suggest avoiding: sugar, fatty foods (particularly saturated fats), simple carbohydrates, tobacco, and alcohol. Many people claim that gluten is quite inflammatory, but if you don’t have an allergy or an intolerance, you’re probably safe to consume it. One food that causes inflammation is less well known, and that’s dairy products. Dairy products contain a good amount of calcium, which is essential for joint health, but make sure to consume them in moderation if you are experiencing joint pain.
• Foods with anti-inflammatory properties: There are lots of great plants that have been used by herbalists for centuries and are widely available as teas or supplements. Turmeric root is a proven anti-inflammatory, and tastes delicious mixed into a latte. It’s also found in many Asian dishes and spice blends, such as Indian curry. Licorice root also has powerful anti-inflammatory powers and makes a great afternoon tea! Some other great herbal options (and most of these mix well with each other, by the way!) include ginger, green tea, aloe vera, frankincense, and eucalyptus.
• Take a probiotic: The positive effects of probiotics are really endless! Arthritis.org proclaims that they are particularly helpful for inflammatory forms of arthritis, but they really can help anyone improve their health!

• Add more protein, calcium, vitamin C & D to your diet: One of the most commonly given advice for any health issue is to “eat well,” which is super vague, and often just defined as avoiding processed and fried foods, particularly ones high in sugar and saturated fat. However, it’s also important to focus on eating nutrient dense foods, especially ones that promote joint health. This might not bring you relief in the short term moment, but it will help immensely in the long term.

2. Change up your exercise routine: 

• Work on your core strength: if your core is strong, you’re able to improve your posture while sitting and walking, reducing a variety of pains! You won’t need to rely on other muscle groups to compensate, reducing your chance of pain and injury.
• Add exercises that strengthen the muscles around your knees: We have always been an advocate for the backwards sled pull, but it’s not the only knee strengthening exercise out there. Check out our knee rehab blog and Pinterest board for knee strengthening exercises, but also check out a fellow backwards sled pull advocate Ben Patrick, also known as @kneesovertoesguy on social media. 
• Go low-impact: Build strength and continue getting in some exercise when you’re feeling a bit tender by opting for low-impact forms of exercise. Using resistance bands, swimming, and walking are some great ways to get active in away that’s gentle on painful joints.
• Focus on flexibility: While also being fairly low-impact, doing yoga or other flexibility-focus exercises can help joint pain over time. Of course, don’t force yourself into positions or stretches that are uncomfortable or even painful, but improving strength and flexibility can only help your joints stay healthy.
• Take a break: Sometimes the best joint pain remedy is just to take it easy for a while. People look for a specific knee pain remedy exercise, and while those can be great, if you’ve been exercising regularly and hard, your body might just need a bit of time off to recharge! Rest time helps to build and rebuild muscle. Don’t forget to take some recovery time when you need it! 

3. Hot and cold therapy: Don’t discount the classic PRICE method (Protect, Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) for joint pain relief! You can also go the opposite route with a nice heating pad or hot water bottle on your sore joints. 

• Also, when you are active outside in the cold, be sure to layer up properly! Cold exposure has been shown to affect joint health, but you can protect your body by wearing a proper thermal base layer. Which leads into our next tip…

4. Take a look at your wardrobe:

• Make sure you’re wearing good shoes: We’ve recommended this before, but we simply cannot overstate the benefits! Good joint health starts from the ground up, so taking care of your feet will impact your joints and alignment throughout the rest of your body. You probably don't even know how much knee support shoes are providing you (or how little!) Even if you don’t feel your feet are a problem area, making sure to wear good supportive shoes during activity and your work day will work wonders. If your feet are hurting, invest in some insoles! Your body will thank you.
• Add some extra support: There are plenty of ways to add knee support, and we’ve covered the different options on other blog posts. Since there are so many knee support options out there now, it can be hard to choose what will work best for you. And every support system has its pros and cons. 

Knee stabilizing compression pants for exercise, work, and every day movement

If you’re thinking about adding some extra support, we have the perfect thing for you! Whether you’re just experiencing the first pangs of knee pain, have had knee surgery, or a full knee replacement, Bracelayer’s knee brace compression pants are here for you. They provide excellent support when worn on their own for all types of exercise, but can provide added support when layered underneath a custom or rigid hinged knee brace.

There are plenty of knee pain relief products on the market, but Bracelayer® is anything else. Unlike compression knee sleeves, our pants won’t slide down, and instead contain a Tri-Tech support layer made of compression mesh, medical perforated neoprene, and our antibacterial Stabiluxe compression fabric. There’s no need to fuss with expensive and hard to apply KT tape or invest big money into a knee brace. Just put on your Bracelayer® pants and play! 

No matter what your game is, or how often you get active, there are Bracelayer pants to support you through every step! We have two designs for specific activities: the KX2 Redline for hockey and the KXV Greenline for cycling. We also have a thermal collection perfect for winter sports like skiing, which has some of the highest rates of knee injury! And remember how we said that keeping joints warm, especially during winter outdoor activities, is a great way to prevent knee pain? Bracelayer's thermal base layer collection was designed to do just that!

Shop the entire Bracelayer® collection now!

A knee strengthening routine should primarily target these four muscle groups: abdominal, hips, glutes, and quadriceps.

Today, we’re starting with quadriceps – perhaps the most important muscle to strengthen on this journey. First, we explain what the quadriceps muscles are. Then, we walk you through some exercises you should add to your knee strengthening routine.

What are the quadriceps?

The quadriceps are a set of four of the most “voluminous” muscles in your body. The three muscles are:

1. Rectus femoris – the largest of the four quadriceps muscles, this muscle runs down the front of your femur, partially covering the other three muscles.
2. Vastus lateralis – The muscle that runs down the outside of your femur, connecting the femur to the patella (kneecap). 
3. Vastus medialis – This is the tear shaped muscle on the lower thigh.
4. Vastus intermedius – as the Latin name suggests, this is the muscle between (intermedius) the rector femoris and the femur bone. 

What are common quadricep injuries?

Due to the size of your quadriceps muscles, you are less likely to experience an injury to them. It’s not impossible, but it’s more likely that weak quadriceps will cause an injury, especially to the knees.

Tendonitis is a condition that can affect any major tendon. In the quadriceps, it generally affects the vastus lateralis, which connects your femur to your kneecap. As such, it can result in pain above your knee, which can be severe if not treated. Treatment generally includes the classic PRICE method, taking anti-inflammatories (natural or prescribed), physical therapy, knee strengthening exercises, and in extreme cases, surgery.

So how do you strengthen your knees and quadriceps? When people think of quad-focused exercises, they tend to think of squats.

Are squats the only way to strengthen your quads?

Absolutely not! They are a great way to strengthen your quads, and perhaps the most common exercise people use, but certainly not the only way.

If you’re already struggling with knee pain, you should probably take squats off the table for the first part of your exercise journey. The downward motion and the force of your body weight make doing squats really strenuous on knees, especially knees that may need strengthening. Work your way up to squats – perhaps by beginning with wall squats or chair sits – before doing the motion without support or adding weights.

Quad strengthening exercises – beginner to advanced

We’ve compiled a list of exercises to strengthen your quadriceps muscles. We’ll list them from the most simple, beginner moves, to the most complex. There are also variations to each of these exercises that can be used to make it more accessible or more challenging, depending on your fitness level. Many of these are knee strengthening physical therapy exercises, so you can trust that they'll really help you strengthen your knees and speed knee injury recovery time. 

1. Forward leg lifts:

There are many different (and often conflicting) approaches to setting a workout routine – some suggest a certain number of repetitions (“reps”) and sets of those reps as ideal, some suggest performing your sets until failure (aka: until you can’t anymore). What your routine looks like is entirely up to you. If you don’t know where to begin, start with three sets of ten reps.

You will need: Your beautiful self! And some resistance bands if you would like an extra challenge. If you’re wanting to start an exercise routine, but have no equipment at home, we cannot recommend getting resistance bands enough. They’re available anywhere that sells workout equipment and online on Amazon and extremely affordable – for $20 or less. Resistance bands are also a fantastic, low-impact way to strengthen muscles and joints without stressing them too much. 

Variations: When you start to build up strength (you’ll know because the exercise feels too easy), try adding a resistance band around your ankles. The band will “resist” the motion, adding the force of weight to your exercise. You’ll be feeling strong – and free of knee pain – in no time!

2. Terminal knee extensions

These are actually a physical therapy exercise used to rehabilitate patients after a knee injury or knee surgery. 

You will need: A resistance band, weighted to just above your comfort level. 

Variations: It’s unlikely that you would want to start this exercise without using some form of resistance bands, but you can start with your set’s “extra light” and work your way up in resistance levels every few sessions.

3. Knee raises

Exactly what it sounds like! Raise one knee as high as you can, squeezing from your core and glutes to hold your balance at the same time. 

You will need: Just yourself!

Variations: This can be performed from a stand-still, especially for folks with weaker knees and quads. Doing some dynamic “high knees,” which utilizes the same maneuver while running or walking, is a great way to take this exercise to the next level.

4. Lunges

Along with squats, many people think of lunges when they picture quad strengthening exercises. Lunges can be hard on the knees, so if you’re already experiencing knee pain, you might want to work up to dynamic lunges with static lunges and exercises 1-3. 

To perform a lunge, extend one foot about one large stride away from you. Then, drop your weight into your quadriceps and lower yourself until your knee is at about a 90 degree angle.

You will need: Only yourself!

Variations: This exercise can be performed static or dynamic, as suggested above. You’ll want to practice it static before you begin adding motion, where you can drop into the move from a walk. Adding dumbbell weight is another great way to make this exercise more challenging!

5. Kettleball swings

This one is also a little hard to explain, so you may want to have a gym buddy show you or watch some tutorials if you’re not sure. The kettlebell swing, like most of the exercises from here on out, is a major strength building exercise that works more than one group. These are a great way to incorporate some cardio work at the same time, by the way!

You will need: An appropriately weighted kettlebell. You can start with as little as 5 pounds.

Variations: If incorporating the added weight of a kettlebell is too strenuous, practice doing a few sets of the maneuver without weights. Do this for as many sessions as you need before incorporating weight.

6. Step ups 

Like the knee raises, this exercise is exactly what you think. Find a step and step onto it! Then, step back to the starting position.

You will need: An aerobic step board or stairs and weights (optional)

Variations: You can begin by just doing the step motions and not adding any weight. Once you start to feel comfortable and balanced, you can start incorporating dumbbells in each hand. Another option is to increase the size of the platform you are stepping onto. Most aerobic steps have a height adjustment option, but you can certainly get creative with this one. Just make sure whatever you use is stable and weight bearing! (Most gyms will have boxes for this purpose.)

7. Reverse nordic curls

Unlike knee raises and step ups, this exercise is not so easily explained. It’s really best to watch a video – we’ve linked one by a physical therapist. 

This exercise begins by kneeling with both knees on the floor. Then, from this kneeling position, slowly lowering your upper body backwards to the floor behind you. 

You will need: Just yourself!

Variations: There are unfortunately no variations for this exercise, other than adjusting the amount you lean backwards towards the floor. This one can be a bit challenging if you’re struggling with mobility, so ease into it as best you can, perhaps by starting with some of the other exercises.

8. Split squat

This exercise adds weight (optionally) to a motion similar to the classic lunge. With one foot elevated on a weight bench or chair, and one foot extended slightly ahead of your centre, lower yourself towards the ground until your knee is bent at about a 90 degree angle. Then, raise yourself back up to your full height. If you choose to use dumbbells, you will want to keep them in your hands, with your arms slightly engaged as well.

You will need: A weight bench, or you can use a chair at home. 

Variations: Like the kettlebell swing (#4) and step ups (#5),  if adding weight is too strenuous, or you struggle with balance, practice doing your sets with just the motion for a few sessions before adding weight. Start small and gradually increase the amount of weight you are holding.

 9. Deadlifts

Deadlifts are a powerhouse exercise that can work your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, core, and back all in one! For this reason, they’re also very intimidating to people who are new to weight training. But there’s no need to be intimidated! As with anything, start small! If you need to forgo using any weights and just focus on getting your form right, that is more than okay! In fact, that will probably serve you more as you move up in weight.

To properly engage your quads during deadlifts, you may want to work with a spotter or trainer. Progessive Rehab and Strength has a fantastic video on Youtube about this necessary form fix! 

You will need: Dumbbells, a kettlebell, or a weight bar and plates, depending on your skill level.

Adaptations: As suggested for this and other exercises, if you need to start small, with 5lb weights (or no weights!) in order to focus on form, do it! Building strength slowly is important to avoiding injury, and not just injury to your knees!

10. Quad-focused squats

If we were to construct a pyramid of these quad strengthening exercises, we would have to stack the quad-focused squats as our peak. A challenging and strenuous exercise, it should only be undertaken if you’re feeling strong and steady in your knees. (We have something that might help you with that, btw… but more on that later!)

The difference between a quad-focused squat and a glute-focused squat is, put simply, whether you’re dipping and raising your body weight with your glute muscles or quad muscles. This really looks like the amount of bend in your knees and how close your butt gets to the ground. This one might be best demonstrated by a video too, so we’ve linked to one breaking down the differences.

You will need: A wall or any weights you may like to add to your exercise.

Variations: Though squats are challenging, there are many variations to help you achieve your goals. If you’re a beginner to exercising you might want to start with chair or wall squats. Then, work your way up to doing the motion unassisted without weight. Once you’re comfortable with that, you can begin to add weights.

If you’re experiencing knee pain, do this very very carefully. Having a spotter and adding some extra support to your workout apparel would both be really helpful for you!

Adding support to your knee strengthening exercises

Following a knee strengthening routine can be really intimidating, especially if you are a beginner to exercise or weight training. Hopefully this blog post will help demystify the process. But you should know, though, that you don't have to do it alone! Adding in some knee support at any stage of your fitness journey is a great idea. It's not "cheating" – it's supporting your body so that it can grow stronger!

There are a bunch of different knee support options you might want to use, and we've blogged about how to choose the best knee support for you before. But if you're considering adding some supportive apparel to your exercise routine, you might not want to look any further.

Bracelayer® has designed a compression pant with built-in knee sleeves. That means no tugging up heavy knee braces that are always sliding down your leg, or having to stop mid set to adjust your knee compression sleeve. With Bracelayer® pants, your knee compression sleeves are built right into the pants! They won't budge, even in the deepest squats or on the longest runs!

Compression pants aren't any ordinary pair of athletic leggings either. Compression has heaps of proven benefits like increasing circulation and proprioception, reducing inflammation, and adding stability. We combined the technology of compression knee sleeves with the benefits of standard compression leggings to create the perfect knee brace compression pants.

Bracelayer® pants were originally designed for gym workouts, but since the company's inception in 2016, we have grown a huge team across North America! Our team members use Bracelayer® pants for work and play, in activities such as skiing, snowboarding, running, hiking, cycling, hockey, gardening, running errands, and so much more!

As one of our team members once said, Bracelayer's compression pants are your all day comfort companion. Let us help keep you stable and secure as you build strength and work towards your healthiest life.

Shop Bracelayer's knee stabilizing compression pants now!

Disclaimer: Our team at Bracelayer® Apparel are not doctors. We do, however, set out to help people with knee pain find relief, increase their stability and balance during physical activity, heal from and prevent further injury. All we can really suggest is that you know the risks and make an informed decision for yourself about your body.

And moreover, as with any medical change, consult with your doctor before making decisions.

If you wear a knee brace or a knee compression sleeve for added support or stability, pain relief, or improved circulation, it’s quite likely that you have gotten comfortable in it. Maybe you’re a little annoyed that they slide or roll down sometimes, but overall your knee brace or knee compression sleeves feel like they’re attached to you. 

And chances are, if you suffer from knee pain, sometimes it keeps you up at night. It might feel like you just can’t find a comfortable position for it. And then, you’ve wondered: can you wear a knee sleeve to bed? Maybe that would help!

People have done it. In fact, some of our customers have reported that sleeping in their Bracelayer® compression leggings has brought them great relief. (If nothing else, we’ll take that as a win for the comfort of our pants!)

But is it safe to sleep in knee support?

It seems like experts are divided. While quite a few authorities on the subject say it’s fine to sleep in your knee support, some strongly disagree. If you have a custom knee brace from an injury, your doctor would probably have told you if it was good for your healing to wear your brace when sleeping. If they didn’t, you likely shouldn’t wear it.

Compression sleeves, since they are available without prescription, are a bit of a different story. It seems like it probably is safe to sleep in compression gear if it fits properly. Compression sleeves in particular can cause a lot of damage if they’re too tight, like pressure on your nerves restricting blood flow. If they’re too loose, it will be like they’re not on at all.

And remember, as with any good thing, moderation is key. Be sure to take breaks from wearing your compression gear. As with anything, there are a few risks with compression gear, though studies show they’re “rarely encountered” if compression is used correctly.

For example, compression can very rarely cause non-fatal blood clots when used incorrectly. If you want to wear your compression sleeves while sleeping, make sure that you’ve taken them off to let your body do its thing for a significant portion of time beforehand.

Compression apparel... it's not just for elite athletes!

Have you been wondering what compression gear is for and why people wear it? We understand… If you're unfamiliar with the science of compression, you might see a pair of compression pants and think they’re just another pair of leggings. But really, compression pants are so much more!

The benefits of compression apparel go far beyond looking good. Studies show that compression gear can help improve athletic performance, proprioception and balance, and circulation, which in turn reduces swelling and inflammation. Less swelling and inflammation after activity = a faster recovery time, allowing athletes to progress faster in their training.

Athletic wear has been quite popular since the early aughts, but its popularity has been steadily increasing. Forbes and Just Style attribute this steady climb, projected to continue into 2025, with the COVID-19 pandemic, which they feel shifted attitudes about comfort and fitness. Those who buy activewear, also called athleisure for this reason, also often buy it for comfortable loungewear. According to SportsCasual.com, women in the United States, particularly ones who are interested in fitness and yoga, are the chief consumers of athletic wear.

These statistics address a common misconception about sports wear and compression gear. Sometimes people think that compression wear is only for elite athletes, and that regular people who engage in an average or moderate amount of activity have no use for it. But the truth is, compression gear and its benefits are for everyone! What started as a treatment for varicose veins has developed into a massive industry, one that has really only begun to be studied. 

For example, we hear a lot from people who are active for work: on Ski Patrol, ski and snowboard instructors, and more. But believe it or not, we actually have a lot of team members who work in blue collar trade jobs!

When we looked into the demographics of who our pants are helping most, we were surprised to find trade workers among the top ranks. This is likely because when we think of the strongest and most active people, we are inclined to picture pro athletes, particularly heavy weight lifters or football players. It’s easy to overlook the everyday people who keep our world going, putting up buildings, mending roads, or fixing the roofs of our homes.

Manual Labour and Musculoskeletal Disorders

Due to both the repetitive strain and the amount of strenuous activity, some occupations are more susceptible to musculoskeletal injury and pain. Osteoarthritis is a massively widespread disorder and the The Centre for Disease Control writes that “mining, construction, agriculture, and sectors of the service industry” are the occupations at the highest risk for it. Indeed, this is likely because “these occupations are physically demanding/heavy labor tasks, lifting or carrying heavy loads, exposure to vibration, high risk of joint or tissue injury, and prolonged periods of working in awkward or unnatural postures such as kneeling and crawling.” Thus, a study from 2020 found that men in jobs requiring heavy manual labour are at a “twofold” risk for developing knee osteoarthritis.

Construction workers are particularly at risk for knee pain, being “the highest risk for joint pain and disorders of any occupation.” Ranking alongside construction workers for knee pain and knee injuries are carpet layers. In fact, did you know there is a condition often referred to as “carpet layer’s knee?” This condition is really called knee or prepatellar bursitis, which is when the inflammation of a small, fluid filled sac that is intended to reduce friction and cushion pressure points between your bones and the tendons occurs. If this condition becomes chronic, it may require a surgery called a bursectomy. (If you are a carpet layer, never fear! The CDC has a great guide on preventing knee injuries for you.)

But what else can you do to prevent injuries? 

Well, when doing any sort of activity outdoors, keeping your joints warm and supported is proven to help reduce injury. Occupational cold exposure has been proven to increase risk for musculoskeletal disorders. So, if you’re working or playing outside, make sure to wear a good thermal base layer.

Taking breaks when possible and using proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is also essential for maintaining joint health at work. Use knee pads, good footwear, and other recommended supports.

Of course, we also have to recommend that tradespeople try our knee stabilizing compression pants. Bracelayer’s compression pants have built-in knee support for active people seeking to prevent or recover from knee injuries, reduce pain, and improve performance. Our compression leggings are proven to keep you on your feet for longer.

Did I mention that we have an Alpine collection of fleece-lined, thermal compression pants that are perfect for a base layer? Wear them outside all day long under your jeans or coveralls, or on their own, if you'd rather!

See what other tradespeople have to say about using Bracelayer® compression tights in their workplace:

• “I build cottages on boat access properties, which is very labour intensive. After a day of moving materials and mixing concrete, my back and shoulder (both shoulders surgically repaired) my body was hurting. I wore my Bracelayers the next day and noticed a considerable benefit from them. I continue to wear them now and am thankful for the support they give!” - Akhbar
• “I’m an active person. I snowboard, skateboard, play hockey. I work in construction and did a year of hard Masonary work, where I was walking 20+ km a day. Couldn’t have done it without Bracelayer®! No more mucking around like a toddler with their pants to keep a knee sleeve up.” - Sev. 
• "My job entails lifting heavy objects and going up and down ladders. I played soccer for years and my knees are shot. Can’t believe how these pants have enabled me to keep on working at my trade.” - Paul T.
• "The KS1 Vent is incredibly versatile. I wear it to the gym and even under my work attire. It's like a second skin, providing knee support without sacrificing comfort.” - Fred W.
• “I work construction and wear these under my jeans. My knees feel better by the end of the day for sure…” - Austin
• "I have 2 pairs of pants — full length Alpine for skiing and 3/4 length for summer sports. Both have been a game changer for my ability to play longer without fatigue or pain. As a ski coach, I’m on the hill for 6 hours a day all winter without experiencing any pain and without daily icing needed in past years. I now wear Bracelayer® pants for all physical activities, including construction work. They’re comfortable, supportive and very well made. Truly great product." - Gordon 
• “The KX2 is my go-to for sports, but I'm in construction and [the KXV] will be great for under my work clothes.” - Kaleb
• "As a concrete professional, durability and support are paramount. Bracelayer Apparel has been a game-changer for me on the job. Their knee braces offer incredible reinforcement without hindering movement, making long hours on concrete much more manageable. The thoughtful design and durable materials make Bracelayer a must-have for anyone in construction seeking reliable support and comfort throughout the day." - C.T.

* Reviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Shop the full Bracelayer® collection now!

Skiing and snowboarding are considered to be some of the most dangerous sports around. It’s hard to nail down precise numbers, because it’s not as though everyone who gets a lift ticket will experience an injury. What is known is that knee injuries are most common on the ski hill. A 2013 literature review collected reports that claim knee injuries make up from 27% to 41% of all skiing-related injuries. A multi-season study at an alpine resort in 2013 reported 43% of injuries being knee-related. Another retrospective study of injuries at another popular skiing destination over the last five years reported 31.2% of injuries being to the knee. These injuries also range in severity, with the most common being a sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and/or the medial collateral ligament (MCL).

So, what are your options? Wearing knee support skiing is crucial to continuing to do the sport you love for years to come. But which one? 

All knee supports have pros and cons; the important thing is to figure out which one best suits your knees and needs.

Whichever of these options you choose, your body will thank you for the extra support. It’s never too early or too late to start loving your knees properly. As the largest joint in your body, they carry you through everything. They deserve proper care.

It’s up to you to choose what feels right for you and your body, but we do have a suggestion to make. Each of these options has drawbacks, of course. But what if you could combine the benefits all in one product? Then, you’d really have the best knee support for skiing and snowboarding. 

Enter: Bracelayer® compression pants with built-in knee support. Unlike knee compression sleeves and braces that are always falling down, Bracelayer® compression pants stay right where you put them, providing targeted support to the knees and hips. Right where you need it the most!

Our Tri-Tech support layer contains medical grade, perforated neoprene, as found in most conventional compression knee sleeves, a Stabiluxe™ compression fabric base, and compression mesh overlay. The Alpine pants, available in KS and KX designs, are constructed on a thermal Stabiluxe compression fabric base, making them the ultimate knee support for skiing. 

In fact, they might even be the best thermal base layer for skiing. Even if you aren’t yet experiencing knee pain, the rate of injury makes it apparent that skiers need knee support. You’re always going to need a base layer to keep you warm under those ski pants, so why not make that layer one with extra support. Preventative care is one of the best ways to keep you skiing longer and stronger. You won't regret taking knee support skiing.

If you’re already experiencing knee pain, then what are you waiting for? Don’t just take our word for it. Check out what other cold weather athletes have to say about Bracelayer® pants. 

Shop the full collection now!

Though cycling is often considered a low-impact sport, especially for the knees, cyclists often report knee pain during their rides.

There’s a number of reasons why cyclists might experience knee pain, often chalked up to an improper fit with your bike, but the most common reason is overlooked. Knees are the largest joint in your body and support most of your body weight most of the time. Even if you’re a very small person, that’s a big load to carry. And the more active you are, the more susceptible you are to injury, and the strain you put on your knees.

Wearing some form of knee support for cycling, regardless of what stage of pain you’re at, is one of the best things you can do to care for your body. Whether you’re a new cyclist just experiencing your first ache or a seasoned rider pushing through decades of pain, it’s never too early or too late to give your knees extra support. You’ll likely save yourself from a more serious injury and more serious pain if you do.

With all the different kinds of support available now beyond knee braces and knee compression sleeves, like KT tape, patella braces, knee wraps, and more, it’s hard to know what the best knee support for cycling is. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by choices, checking out our blog post comparing the different types of knee support is a good place to start. But even with some guidance, it still might be hard to nail it down.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a specific kind of knee support tailored to cyclists? Good news: there is.

Bracelayer’s KXV Greenline are compression pants with built in knee support designed just for cyclists. These unisex compression tights have a Tri-Tech support layer around the hips and knees for extra support and stability and a built-in chamois seat pad to keep you cushioned where you’re most tender. They also have vents just below the knee to keep you cool on long rides. Greenline’s design is sleek and understated with neon green logo on the elastic waistband, but reflective logos will keep you visible when weaving through traffic.

Compression wear has a number of benefits, most of which we have explored at length in other blog posts. Adding this one piece of gear to your cycling wardrobe will help give you balance and stability, support your knees over the long haul, and increase your endurance. All the support you need in one convenient pair of compression leggings that will stay in place, unlike compression sleeves and knee braces. No need to stop and re-adjust: just get on your bike and ride!

But don’t just take our word for it. Check out what other cyclists have to say about Bracelayer® pants.

Shop the full Bracelayer collection. 

Disclaimer: This blog post is for educational purposes only. Our information is sourced from national organizations of authority and peer-reviewed publications, but please keep in mind that we at Bracelayer® are not medical professionals, just people who know a bit about healthy knees. Consult a doctor if you are experiencing pain or planning to make lifestyle changes. 

When it comes to preventing knee pain, there are a number of approaches to take. We’ve put together our top tips for knee pain prevention just for you. Some are for overall joint health and some are specific to your knees. 

First and foremost, ensuring that you take care of your overall health will, of course, lead to healthy knees. Eating a healthy diet, limiting or ceasing drug and alcohol consumption, not smoking, and watching your weight are simple and effective ways to look after your body.

Tips for overall joint health:

1. Exercise regularly: Even a little goes a long way to prevent knee pain! Try not to stay static for too long. If you’re working at a desk job, for example, make sure to take hourly movement breaks. You should be doing at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, but if that feels too daunting for your current activity level, start small! Little steps add up to long distances if done consistently.
2. Warm-up before exercise: Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a seasoned couch potato, we’ve all considered skimping on warm-up activities. But spending at least five minutes easing yourself into physical activity is one of the best ways to protect your joints. They’re worth the extra time, and when you protect them, they’ll protect you.
3. Start with low-impact exercises to strengthen your joints: There’s no need to go straight to the squat rack. In fact, you absolutely should not! If you are concerned about your knee joint health, start incorporating some low-impact exercises to your weekly routine in order to start strengthening your joints without added pressure. Some great examples of low-impact exercises are swimming and aqua aerobics, resistance band training, walking, and biking. Then, you might want to upgrade to more specific knee strengthening exercises.
4. Add more protein, calcium, vitamin C & D to your diet: “Eating well” is one of the most common health tips, but what does that even mean? Aside from avoiding processed and fried foods, particularly ones high in sugar and saturated fat, it also means eating nutrient dense foods. Working in foods that contain natural anti-inflammatory properties, like turmeric, also goes a long way in knee pain prevention.
5. Drink less coffee: It’s well known that coffee isn't exactly good for our health. But did you know that caffeine can reduce your bone density? Studies have only just begun in this area, but along with the numerous other health risks caffeine poses, it’s probably safer to skip your afternoon jolt.

For more targeted protection, there are a couple of things you can do to love your knees.

1. Work on your core strength: Often, people experience knee and back pain because of bad posture. Having a strong core will help you sit up straight and walk taller, which will in turn remove a great deal of unnecessary stress on your knees. 
2. Add targeted exercises to your routine: There are lots of great exercises to use for strengthening knees. We’ve collected some on our Knee Rehab blog, but probably the best to add to your workout routine are backwards sled pulls. 
3. Wear sensible shoes: Beauty doesn’t have to be painful. Did you know that wearing high heels increases your chances of developing osteoarthritis? They aren’t the only culprits either. Wearing shoes that are ill-fitting and have bad support will not only hurt the joints of your feet, but they will affect the amount of shock your joints need to absorb, your posture, and your overall inflammation levels. You probably don't even notice how much knee support shoes are providing you (or how little,) but choosing proper ones will make a world of difference.
4. Wear compression gear: Compression gear is great for exercise and everyday use. Though athletes are the most common champions of it, you don’t have to be a pro to enjoy the benefits. Compression gear is great for everyone, and wearing targeted compression on the joints that are most at risk is the best way to prevent injury and pain.

The best knee support: Bracelayer® compression pants

Using compression pants for joint support has been proven to reduce injury, speed recovery time, and improve balance, stability, and proprioception. Why? It’s simple. When your joints are in line, held firmly in place, and able to take an increase in pressure, it's less likely that an off-step or a fall will occur, which greatly reduces risk of injury.

Standard compression pants provide all these things, but Bracelayer® compression pants have built-in knee sleeves that go the extra mile in knee pain prevention. Our Tri-Tech support layer wraps around the knees and hips for even more stability, pressure, and protection. With Bracelayer® pants, you get compression for your entire lower body, but extra targeted compression for the joints that really ail you. Our pants combine compression pants with knee sleeves, with the added bonus that you don’t have to worry about those compression sleeves sliding down. Bracelayer® keeps everything firmly in place.

Though compression gear is often used for recovery and rehabilitation after injury, you don’t have to already be hurting to experience the benefits. Bracelayer® compression pants help you play stronger, stay active longer, and prevent knee pain. Put your mind at ease by knowing you have support every step of your journey.

Disclaimer: This blog post is for educational purposes only. Our information is sourced from national organizations of authority and peer-reviewed publications, but please keep in mind that we at Bracelayer® are not medical professionals, just people who know a bit about healthy knees. Consult with your doctor if you are experiencing pain or planning to make lifestyle changes. 

Studies show that women experience more knee pain and knee injuries than men. Women are also at a much higher risk of diseases that cause joint pain, particularly osteoarthritis. But why? 

Some studies suggest it is because of differences in the makeup of women’s nervous systems. Others suggest women have more joint pain because they have smaller and thinner bones and cartilage. When I took a look into this phenomenon, there seemed to be one very crucial thing in common. Women seemed to most often experience knee pain in times of hormonal flux: during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. 

What’s the common denominator? And is there anything that can be done about it? 

Knee pain during menstruation:

Plenty of women report knee and joint pain before and during menstruation. 

The hormone estrogen seems to be one of the main links between women and knee pain. According to Everyday Health, the “plummet” of estrogen levels before a period and the “rise” after is likely to be the cause of joint pain. 

Though they note it’s hard to make a blanket statement about how menstruation affects women’s knee pain because cycles can be so varied, a 2016 study found that women’s knee joint laxity did decline during their periods. To put it more simply, women’s joints are looser and more stable during menstruation. As of 2022, results are inconclusive about whether or not this is solely due to hormonal changes, also largely because women’s cycles vary widely and are often irregular.

Another study notes that pain sensitivity also fluctuates during menstruation, which causes women to feel more pain all over their body. That doesn’t mean that additional pains, like knee joint pain, aren’t present outside of this time, but that it’s more intense during it.

Knee pain during pregnancy:

There are a number of factors that cause knee pain during pregnancy. It’s not just the added strain of carrying and growing a new human being in your body, though of course, it is a major factor. Gaining weight quickly can impact joints, as they’re used to carrying a lighter load. This is perhaps why women in their third trimester of pregnancy report the most knee pain – 73.68% of them!

Since your body is carrying more weight than it’s used to, and your abdomen has expanded outward to make room for the baby, your body’s sense of itself gets thrown off. This bodily sense is called proprioception, and it’s a major factor in a person’s knee joint health at any age, gender, or activity level. Pregnancy affects your proprioception because added weight and dimension are likely to alter your posture, which in turn alters your balance, and thus leads you to misstep or even hyperextend your knee.

It turns out that older moms, in their 30s and beyond, are more likely to experience severe knee pain. And unfortunately, it’s more likely that it will last longer. As we age, the distance between our joints becomes smaller, and our cartilage wears down. The added pressure of baby’s weight (and the weight that baby doesn’t take with them) only speeds up this process.

And of course, major fluctuations in a pregnant woman’s hormonal profile contribute to this. Estrogen “peaks” during pregnancy and “dips” post-partum, according to Dr. Tarvez Tucker. Weight and mass distribution certainly affect hormone production too, during and independent of pregnancy, but there are many factors that contribute to endocrine health. 

Knee pain during menopause:

A couple of interconnected bodily changes causes knee pain during menopause and after. First, know that according to researchers Dr. Anna Fenton and Nick Panay, “a spectrum of musculoskeletal symptoms occur at menopause.” In this spectrum, osteoarthritis is one of the most common. Osteoarthritis overwhelmingly impacts women more than men.

Again, estrogen is a major factor. Since estrogen is a key hormone in women’s joint health, and menopause means a great reduction in estrogen production, menopausal women experience more joint problems. In particular, because of the sudden loss of estrogen, menopause causes the articular cartilage, a very important part of the knee, to degenerate. In turn, the degeneration of articular cartilage can lead to various forms of arthritis.

What’s a girl to do?

A study published in Sports Medicine shows athletes who are women are four to six times more at risk for injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, than athletes who are men. The study suggested that women’s cyclical hormone fluctuations were a major contributing factor, but more research and trials were needed. As of 2023, the results are still inconclusive. There’s definitely some sort of link between menstrual cycles, knee pain, and injuries, but the exact one does not seem to be known.

No matter what stage you’re at in pain progression – that is, if you’re not yet experiencing joint pain or have for years – preventative measures are always a great idea. Being proactive about your joint health will make you stronger and hopefully keep you active longer. Love your knees and they will love you back.

So how can you prevent joint pain and degeneration? We have a few tips for you:

• Exercise regularly and safely: Take care to ensure you use proper form during exercise. Work out with a trusted friend who can keep an eye on your form or consult a personal trainer to ensure you’re not actually hurting yourself while trying to take care of yourself.
• Eat a variety of foods rich in protein, calcium, and Vitamin C and D: Eat your greens! For collagen and calcium, look no further than your leafy greens. Vitamin D is known to help calcium absorption and keep bones and joints healthy. Taking supplements of vitamin D, which all Canadians should be doing, has more specifically been “associated with significantly less progression of knee joint abnormalities.” Some studies also say that Vitamin C can help prevent osteoporosis and that collagen supplements can help keep joints healthy as you age! 
• Support your joints during activity, even if you aren’t experiencing any pain yet: Wearing sensible shoes never goes out of style. Choosing comfortable footwear keeps your joints aligned and prevents them from absorbing excessive shock from activity. Studies are also showing that wearing compression gear is one of the best ways to take care of your joints.

Compression leggings for women – a possible solution?

If you’re a woman experiencing knee pain, compression pants (also called compression leggings) might be your new best friend. Compression pants are a garment made out of strong synthetic materials that provide support to muscles and joints and promote circulation. Though compression pants are still mostly used by athletes or people recovering from severe injuries, you don’t have to be an athlete to wear them. Compression pants are for everyone!

Standard compression pants are great for increasing stability, balance, and proprioception. Remember how important proprioception is to joint health? 

However, standard compression pants don’t provide targeted compression for the joints that hurt you the most… but Bracelayer® compression pants do!

Bracelayer® compression pants provide targeted support around the knees and hips. They have a built-in Tri-Tech support layer where you need it most. Though they were originally designed to be worn under knee braces for extra support and to keep them from sliding down, Bracelayer® pants are great for anyone who has or is expecting to have knee pain.

Basically, Bracelayer® pants are compression pants and compression knee sleeves all-in-one. And because both these features are in one stylish, yet understated pair of pants, you don’t have to worry about your knee compression sleeves rolling down during exercise. Simply put them on and go!

Shop the complete collection of Bracelayer® knee stabilizing compression pants here!

Disclaimer: Our team at Bracelayer® Apparel are not doctors. We do, however, set out to help people with knee pain find relief, increase their stability and balance during physical activity, heal from and prevent further injury. We have compiled some results from these studies because we think our community will be interested, but we are in no way experts in sports medicine.

Knee Injury is a Persistent Threat to All Athletes

All athletes know that one of the biggest threats to their competitive career is a knee injury. Knee injuries are one of the most common of all sports-related injuries. Professionals, high school athletes, and people looking to live an active lifestyle all know in the back of their minds that a painful knee injury could strike at any time.

But...Surgical Advances are Progressing at a Fast Rate

However, while knee injuries such as an ACL or PCL Tear once meant the end of any athletic career, most people are now able to bounce back. But it often takes more than a year to get the knee back in shape for elite-level training and performance. As of 2023, even patients who have undergone total knee arthroplasty (a total knee replacement) are successfully returning to their sports, and are encouraged by their doctors to do so.

Recent medical advances are now making knee surgeries less invasive and greatly decreasing recovery time. And the advances are happening at ever-increasing intervals.

Radio Frequency Treatment

With some knee conditions surgery isn't needed to heal the tear, but to stop the pain. Sometimes the only way to handle the pain is strong prescription drugs or invasive surgery. 

A relatively new procedure now offers a minimally invasive option. In a process called genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation (RFA), doctors can treat chronic knee pain by inserting specialized needles into the knee that send out a particular radiofrequency. This radio frequency targets the nerve cells in the knee and “freezes” them. The radio waves basically keep the nerves from reporting the pain reflex back to the brain. This allows people to improve their quality of life, be free of opioid painkillers, and forego invasive surgery until it is absolutely necessary. Like most of these other new techniques, there is still a lot to learn about RFA. Future studies will show just how effective RFA is.

TKA Gets a Helping Hand... from a Robot?

In the past few years, great advances have been made with the use of robotics in surgery. Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is no exception.

Robots have actually been used in TKA since the 1980s. It seems like AI is all the rage right now in 2023, but it's been a major component of medicine for a long time now. In TKA, robotics are mainly used to ensure proper alignment of the prothesis, reduce complications, and act as a support tool for surgeons at the table and pre-operation.

Of course, robots won't completely replace surgeons anytime soon. These robots need surgeons assistance to run, and the team needs support to tackle this steep learning curve.

Innovations in ACL Surgery - The BEAR Method

Traditional ACL surgery is brutal. The reconstructive surgery, the procedure of which has been in practice for over 100 years, required a tendon graft from tissue in the quadriceps or hamstrings and that holes be drilled into the bone. For a long time, it was believed that ACL tears couldn’t be stitched back together and left to heal. 

Then, the BEAR method came onto the scene. BEAR stands for Bridge-Enhanced ACL Reconstruction, and it was invented by an engineering student turned knee surgeon, Dr. Martha Murray. The BEAR method involves a "sponge-like" implant to be placed inside the tear (after it has been soaked in the patients blood), which is then sewn shut. Over time, the idea is that the implant will be absorbed and replaced by new tissue.

In 2019, the procedure had just produced some of its first results after undergoing human trials. Since then, an outpour of studies (mostly lead by Dr. Murray) confirmed that BEAR lead to an earlier resolution of symptoms and return of function and a stronger psychological readiness to return to activity after surgery. Dr. Murray also proved that BEAR's results were "non inferior" to traditional ACL surgery. It's been less than a decade since BEAR's invention, so more time and research will be needed to prove which is the best option. The surgery is already helping people like 28-year-old Frances Yu, a patient of Duke Health, return to an active life.

For now, it seems that this type of surgery is much less invasive than the traditional approach and it allows for the patient to be active in a much shorter time. We will certainly be looking out for more news of Dr. Murray's innovation in the future.

ACL Stem Cell Procedure

Lately, it seems like stem cells are always in the medical news in one way or another. Their adaptability and capacity for regeneration have made them a proven tool in a number of procedures. Currently, two new stem cell procedures are being used to treat both full and partial ACL tears.

With the first of these stem cell procedures, instead of opening up the body, the stem cells are inserted into target areas through a simple needle. The stem cells trigger the regrowth and healing of the tendon. The most incredible part of this therapy is it allows athletes to return much faster to training and full competition than surgical treatments.

Stem cells are also being inserted into the graft before or during traditional ACL graft procedures to speed healing. This approach is similar to the sponge-like apparatus used in Dr. Murray's BEAR method. 

Nasal Cartilage

This one is interesting! In 2016, the medical journal The Lancet published an article on using nasal cartilage in grafts for tears of the articular cartilage, which is a type of cartilage that manages the impacts of loads on a joint and has a very limited regenerative capacity. This means that cartilage injuries are exceptionally difficult to manage in that they contribute to the rapid development of many different degenerative joint conditions. Before this new technique, doctors often struggled to repair the cartilage.

This first human trial was a success, but the attempts since then seem minimal. There was also some research done on the procedure with large animals. These transplants are still in the early trial stages, but they are very promising. Participants in the 2016 trial reported reduced knee pain as well as improved knee function and mobility. 

Prevention and Patience Pay Dividends

While no athlete wants to suffer a knee injury, it is exciting that so much research is being done on this issue. These new advances may soon make major knee surgery a thing of the past.

However, even with these innovative treatments, athletes still will need to make sure they are taking proper care of their knee as they recover. This means keeping it protected, stable, and clean.

The better care you take of your knees during the recovery process, the faster you can get back out into competition. And the longer you wait to have that invasive knee surgery, the more likely you are to receive the most up to date procedure and benefit from all those knee surgeons and patients who came before you, enabling these advancements to take place.

Let Bracelayer® help with your knee injury recovery or prevention. We make the best compression pants for active and recovering knees. Our Tri-Tech support layer, featuring our original antibacterial Stabiluxe™ compression base, provides targeted compression that is designed to keep your knees stronger for longer.

If you’ve even dashed across the street to avoid holding up traffic or catch a bus, you’ve felt the jarring vibration of your bones when your feet hit the pavement with speed. 

Just like cars have complex shock systems to help hold them together through bumpy patches and uneven ground, your body has knees. They work in much the same way. Even if you avoid pavement, if you run frequently, your knees are going to be under more stress.

There's a reason patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is also called Runner's Knee. Runners are at high risk for PFPS, iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS), and patellar tendinopathy (PT). These are just a few of the injury types that runners can anticipate — and hopefully prevent!

So, what are your options?

Knee braces: 

If you’ve sustained a serious knee injury, your doctor may have had you fitted for a custom knee brace. DonJoy, Ossur, BREG, and Bauerfeind are manufacturers that create knee braces tailored to fit you. These braces are a great option for people recovering from injury or even surgery, and can certainly help reduce pain and aid stability.

These expensive braces come with their own challenges and complications. Even though they have been designed to fit your knees, they still might slide down, which is an irritating and distracting problem at best. Knee braces are also heavy and affect your balance, which makes them not the optimal choice for running.

Compression sleeves 

Knee compression sleeves are another popular option. They are quite affordable and widely available at nearly every pharmacy, and are much lighter than a custom knee brace. Compression sleeves have been proven to provide stability and balance to their users, which also aids your proprioception, or body’s sense of itself. When your proprioception is functioning at its best, you are much less likely to make a small step out of alignment that comes with a long journey of pain. 

Like knee braces, you may notice that compression knee sleeves roll or slide down your leg during activity. They provide much less support than a knee brace, but are also much lighter and won’t throw off your balance. And yet, many people still aren’t fully satisfied with the performance of their compression knee sleeves.

Kinesiology tape

Recently, athletes have taken to using kinesiology tape (KT), the kind used by doctors and physical therapists to rehabilitate injuries. Kinesiology taping is one of the most medical-grade options, but that also means by nature that it takes skill and to use, unlike other knee support options.

KT works in a way that is fundamentally opposite to compression garments. It’s intended to lift tissues and allow for more space and natural movement. Yet, sometimes people use KT with their compression sleeves for added support and muscle recovery.

The main thing to keep in mind with KT is that what gets put on must get taken off. You know how ripping off a bandaid feels? Now make that bandaid huge and much stronger. Yikes!

Compression pants 

Compression pants (also called compression tights) are another good option because they won’t keep sliding down your knee like compression sleeves or knee braces. They provide uniform lower body compression that increases stability, circulation, and proprioception. However, if you opt for a compression pant, you lose the targeted compression on the area hurting you the most.

What is the best knee support for runners?

Compression sleeves, athletic compression pants, kinesiology tape, and knee braces are all great options for runners' strained knees. But are any of them the best option? Nope.

Hypothetically, the best knee support for runners would combine all the benefits of these pieces of gear, but none of the drawbacks. It would provide all-over compression for improved circulation, stability, and balance, but targeted compression for the knees too. It would have an extra neoprene layer around the knees and hips for maximum support. Maybe it would even be built from an anti-bacterial fabric to keep you feeling fresh after running (and sweating) long distances.

The good news: what I just described – the best knee support for runners – already exists.

Shop the full Bracelayer® collection now!

Bracelayer® compression pants provide the best knee support for running. They’re constructed on our one-of-a-kind anti-bacterial Stabiluxe™ fabric and contain a Tri-Tech support layer around the knees and hips. Bracelayer’s pants have designs with heating and cooling technology. Our Alpine pants have a fleece lining to keep you and your joints warm in the winter and our KS1 Vent pants are made from Stabiluxe™ cooling fabric with ventilation panels behind the knees. 

But don’t just take our word for it! See what runners who have made Bracelayer their go to knee support have to say.

If you’re just starting your fitness journey, you might not be using compression gear yet. Even if you’re a seasoned athlete, you still might not be using compression gear! But now, you might be experiencing some aches and pains for the first time during physical activity. Maybe you’ve heard your gym buddies, teammates, or running group talk about how compression gear has improved their performance and you’re curious to try some out. If so, you’ve come to the right place!

What do compression pants do?

Compression garments were originally designed for people with medical conditions that affect their blood circulation like Chronic Venous Disorder (CVD). They were first used to treat varicose veins (a symptom of CVD) and since have been used as a treatment for a wide variety of medical issues. Compression gear is most commonly used to help heal scars, aid muscle recovery, and support a joint after an injury.

Most often, compression gear is targeted to the lower body. Compression pants provide either uniform compression over the entire lower body or targeted compression on hips, knees, or ankles. Since they need to be form-fitting in order to do their job, compression pants are also often called compression tights or compression leggings.

What are the benefits of compression pants?

Compression gear has been adopted by athletes because of its medical uses. Improved circulation and blood oxygen levels reduce swelling and inflammation, which in turn improves muscle soreness post-exercise. Pressure on muscles and joints has also been shown to increase proprioception during exercise, which is the body’s sense of awareness of its positioning. To put it simply, increased proprioception means an athlete is less likely to make a step, land a jump, or dodge something in a way that is out of alignment with their body, which reduces the chances of injury.

The benefits of compression pants have been frequently studied and debated in the last few decades. Some researchers believe that the effects of compression gear are largely psychological, but a recent study (2022) shows that the benefits of compression garments are not placebo. The bottom line, however, is that there are no adverse effects to compression wear. You aren’t going to hurt yourself or slow your recovery. By wearing compression athletic gear, you are only ever doing something that will take care of your body — and that is always a good thing!

What do compression leggings do for knee pain and knee injuries?

Knees are one of the most commonly injured joints, likely because they are the largest joint in the body and weight-bearing. Knees are also the joint most affected by osteoarthritis, a hugely prevalent disease affecting about 528 million people worldwide.

You don’t have to be an athlete to experience knee pain. There are a number of factors that can cause a person to develop knee pain, including repeated stress or injury that doesn't necessarily need to occur during sport, pre-existing diseases, joint or otherwise (like diabetes), genetic predisposition, and age.

If you’re experiencing knee pain, compression pants can help you find relief and also help prevent re-injury. If you’re only starting to experience pain, you can also prevent future injuries by wearing compression apparel during movement. It’s never too early or too late to support your body, and you will be thankful that you did!

What makes Bracelayer® compression pants different from other compression pants?

Bracelayer® compression pants are different from other compression pants by bigger names like Nike, Under Armour, or 2XU because they have built-in knee support in addition to regular compression. Bracelayer® pants are designed to combat knee pain, provide joint stability, and aid in recovery.

If you already have a custom knee brace, but would like a little extra support (or perhaps notice that your brace is often sliding down), Bracelayer® pants are perfect for you. Our pants were designed by someone who has dealt with decades of knee pain, the struggles of using a custom knee brace, and the lack of mobility that comes with knee injuries. Bracelayer® compression pants are designed to help you stay active longer.

Whether you need to relieve knee pain or prevent it from occurring, you can trust the combination of compression and built-in knee support that Bracelayer® has created for you. Our pants feature targeted support around the knees and hips, provided by our unique TriTech Support Layer.

But don’t just trust our word on it. Trust the word of people whose lives have been changed by Bracelayer’s compression pants. Or try them out for yourself!

Shop the full Bracelayer® collection here!

So, let’s start at the beginning. When talking about the knee, one should start by learning the basic components of the joint.

The knee is composed of three main structures:

• The tibia is the shin bone, the largest bone of the lower part of the leg
• The femur is the thigh bone, part of the upper leg bone
• The patella is also referred to as the kneecap

What causes the knee to move?

The muscles that propel the knee’s natural movement and rotation are connected by tendons to the knee bones. Tendons are bands of connective tissue on the end of muscles, connecting muscle to bone. Muscles and tendons work  in unison. The muscle contracts and the tendon’s tough, cordlike tissue, which is connecting that muscle to the bone is pulled, causes the bone to move. 

• The quadriceps muscles work in conjunction with quadriceps tendons to straighten (extend) the knee. They provide strength and power to create the knee’s extension.
• The hamstrings muscles allow for flexion (bending)

Ligaments and tendons

In addition to muscle and bones, the knee joint is comprised of tendons and ligaments, two similar yet slightly different types of connective tissue in the body. How do they differ? 

Ligaments are bands of connective tissue with collagen fibers, which connect knee bones to each other and help to provide stability. Tendons specifically connect muscle to bone. 

Tendons and ligaments also vary in other ways. Ligaments crisscross in direction, as they attach bone to bone to stabilize joints. Since they help with movement, tendons have a bit more elasticity than ligaments. Ligaments are tight and help to stabilize the knee.

There are several types of tendons in the knee including the patellar tendon, which attaches the tibia to the patella. The quadriceps tendon attaches the quadriceps muscle to the patella. Many types of ligaments and tendons can be found throughout the body.

Other components of the knee

The knee also contains menisci and cartilage which function as shock absorbers, allowing the knee to move with less friction. 

• Articular cartilage is the smooth lining covering the end of the bone. If it’s damaged or worn away, an individual may develop arthritis of the knee.
• Meniscus: is contained in the area between the end of the thigh bone and the top of the shin bone. The meniscus help distribute the body’s weight evenly, adding balance and stability.

There is also the joint bursa (synovial bursa), a closed fluid filled sac in front of the knee, just below the surface of the skin. It cushions the bones, tendons, and muscles. It smooths out motion between the skin and bone, with the fluid allowing muscles and tendons to glide over ligaments and/or bone. 

There are various bursae in the knee performing this function, including the pre-patellar bursa. And there are hundreds of bursae throughout the body, each acting in a similar capacity for various parts of the anatomy. 

Two fun facts about the knees

Fact 1: Surprisingly, our kneecaps don’t harden until somewhere between the ages of 3 to 6. As noted by Healthline this may be because toddlers are still learning to walk, and the softness of a still undeveloped knee may provide extra cushioning for all those falls. It may also be to make the birth process easier. They do have cartilage that will eventually become part of the kneecap. But it’s not fully formed until later in childhood when it begins to ossify or turn into bone. 

Fact 2: According to the UK Readers Digest, the patella (kneecap) is a type of sesamoid bone, a bone embedded within the tendon. In the case of the patella, the bone is within the quadriceps tendon. They differ from other bones, which are connected to each other externally, instead of being embedded in tendon. Other sesamoid bones are found in the feet and hands. 

A little bit about knee pain

Knee pain is quite common, often associated with aging or daily wear and tear from walking, standing, bending, lifting, etc. People who participate in more athletic activities that involve motions such as pivoting, jumping, or running, whether professional or amateur, are also likely to suffer from injuries or conditions involving the knee.  

The most common knee conditions

Torn meniscus (meniscal tear):  One common injury is a torn meniscus. This condition is often caused by forcefully twisting or rotating your knee, especially when your full weight is on the joint.

Hyperextension: This occurs when the joint’s angle is stretched, straightened or opened beyond its normal, healthy range of motion. This can cause tears to the tendons or ligaments or cartilage damage. A sprained knee is one common type of hyperextension injury.

ACL tear: Because the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) helps give the knee stability, tears of the ACL often makes the individual feel as if their knee is “giving out.” It is a ligament that stretches through the middle of the knee to keep the tibia in place. 

Knee bursitis: This is inflammation, swelling, or pain usually caused by overuse or injury. 

Exercise helps knee health

It is encouraged that people walk briskly or do other light to moderate physical exercise on a regular basis to maintain the condition of joints and limbs, as well as to ensure their overall health. 

It is commonly suggested that you do stretching exercises before and after workouts or other physical activities to prevent injuries such as these. You should always contact a doctor before beginning any new workouts that may be strenuous.

Check out our infographic below for a visual breakdown of the anatomy of your knee:

Our bodies are built for motion. Our bones, muscles, and joints are all designed to work together in harmony. Movement helps make your body stronger. Just like running a car regularly ensures everything remains lubricated and in good order, exercise helps keep your joints mobile and muscles and bones strong.

However, as we age, our body becomes more susceptible to injuries. Like older cars, our muscles, bones, and joints need more regular attention and support to help them stay healthy. Preventing injury and caring for your joints isn't just reserved for elite athletes. It is something that everyone should care about.

Why Knees Get Injured

As the largest joint in the body, knees are one of the most easily injured body parts. A knee joint is made up of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. All of those parts can be injured. A severe injury may even need surgery. Recovery can take weeks, if not months, and keep you from following your exercise routine.

Recognizing why our knees are so susceptible to injury starts with understanding the body’s biomechanics. Knees are built to bend only one way. When your knees move in a different direction, you risk injury. Most knee injuries affect more than one part of the joint, but often the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Even in a best-case scenario, injuries are inconvenient. They stop you from enjoying your exercise and from progressing your training at the rate you would like. Strengthening the muscles around the knee joint and correcting potentially damaging movements is one way of prevention, but this isn't a quick process. Adding knee sleeves and compression pants to your workout gear is a simple and effective way to help you exercise safely.

How Knee Compression Helps

Swelling and pain are among the most common signs of a knee injury.

However, even without swelling and pain stopping you from exercising, you may feel that your knees are less stable than you'd like. The feeling that your knee is giving way can cause you to move the joint differently from its intended range of motion and actually further predispose you to serious injury.

Compression sleeves are scientifically proven to be one of the most effective and convenient ways to prevent this. Knee sleeves and compression pants support proprioception and, consequently, improve balance and stability

What Is Proprioception?

Proprioception is the sense that lets us perceive the movement, location, and action of parts of the body without looking directly at them. The term includes numerous sensations, including the position of joints and their range of movement. The concept was first described in 1906 by Sir Charles Bell, who referred to it as the body’s "sixth sense." It has since also been called kinesthesia. It is because of proprioception that we know how to walk without double-checking the exact location in which we put our foot. This sense lets you reach for your coffee mug without looking at your hand, and allows you to touch your nose with your eyes closed.

Proprioception works because of sensory receptors in your body and your nervous system. Joints, muscles, and tendons have most of those receptors. As soon as you move, your brain receives details about your action and your position. Aided by your eyes, vestibular system, and nervous system, your brain then pieces these signals together and creates your perception of how you are moving.

Without proprioception, you would find it hard to walk in a straight line, or you might struggle to understand your own strength and use too much force when doing something that requires fine motor skills.

What Knee Sleeves And Compression Pants Do For The Body and Proprioception

Compression pants or leggings increase blood flow and circulation to the hips and extremities. Athletes use them to speed up recovery and rehabilitation times. In healthy athletes, well-fitting compression pants improve muscle activation, which can lead to increased performance. Wearing compression tights permanently during exercise has no adverse effects, so there is no reason to wait until you are injured.

Knee sleeves also provide compression. Basic cloth sleeves simply help the joint and the surrounding muscles stay warm but offer only a minimal amount of support. Neoprene knee sleeves, on the other hand, are often much more substantial, depending on their thickness. Not only do they provide more warmth to the joint than cloth knee sleeves, but they also offer improved stability and greater injury protection.

One of the major disadvantages of knee sleeves is that most tend to slide down as you are moving. If you are using them in a Crossfit gym, that may be inconvenient at best. However, as a runner or a cyclist, sliding knee sleeves are ineffective and interrupt your training.

Combining compression knee sleeves and pants solves that problem and integrates the benefits of both pieces of kit. You don’t need to be injured to see the advantages: improved proprioception and movement awareness prevent muscle fatigue.

A Closer Look At The Science

Numerous studies have shown the benefits of wearing knee braces not only for injured athletes undergoing recovery and rehabilitation. Healthy athletes have improved their sense of knee joint position with the help of a neoprene sleeve. Function and performance remained at least the same, proving that wearing a knee sleeve does not have any negative effects on performance.

People with osteoarthritis not only reported pain relief but also immediately showed improved function of their knee joint during walking and similar activities.

Fatigue As A Factor

Good levels of proprioception and movement control are key to healthy motion and exercise. Muscle fatigue has been proven to negatively affect proprioception. As you push yourself harder and your muscles start feeling the pressure, those sensory receptors work less accurately. Your knee joints lose their sense of position.

This means that as you increase the distance you cycle or the amount of weight you lift, your body finds it harder to protect itself. As a consequence, the harder you exercise, the more likely you are to become injured. Most injuries in competitive sports happen towards the end of the game.

Neoprene knee sleeves can help prevent those injuries. A study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports showed that braced and supported knees handled fatigue better. The researchers ran four rounds of fatigue tests on their subjects. Round one established a baseline. In rounds two and three, participants wore a neoprene sleeve on one knee. Round four was once again completed without sleeves.

The results were stunning: with the sleeve, participants’ proprioceptive skills were improved compared to the first non-fatigued test. Despite the increase in muscle and joint fatigue, they were better able to control their movement than they had been at the beginning of the experiment. The braced leg managed to hit the target given, whereas the unbraced leg struggled as fatigue increased.

Noticeably, despite the increasing levels of fatigue on the second and third rounds of this test, the knee wearing the sleeve did better than it had on the initial pre-fatigue test. Note that fatigue is a major contributor to injuries, and it becomes quite clear that compression knee sleeves are effective in preventing injuries and keeping you going.

Compression Tights As a Support for Dynamic Knee Movement

Female athletes participating in jumping sports such as volleyball, basketball, and soccer are at a greater risk of knee ligament injury than their male counterparts. Out of all injuries recorded, tears of the anterior cruciate ligament are among the most common.

More than half of those injuries are not related to contact or collision with another player. Instead, many of them can be traced to motor control issues and may be preventable. A study on female college athletes demonstrated that compression tights stimulated hip muscles, which had positive effects on both hip and knee joints when landing from a jump. In both joints, unwanted interior movements were limited.

Some of the variables tested by the scientists improved by up to 40%, suggesting that compression tights have a role to play not only in rehabilitation but also in injury prevention.

What About the Surrounding Joints?

Although knee joints are among the most susceptible to injury, they don’t work in isolation from the rest of your body. To assess the effects of knee sleeves and compression tights on complex processes like walking and running, it is worth looking at more than one part of your legs.

One study looked at whether knee sleeves would alter the coordination of segments of the lower limbs – thigh, shank, and foot – when walking or when hopping on one leg. Researchers here wanted to see how knee sleeves influence the coordination of the three parts of the leg. They tested both men and women who were not used to wearing a sleeve.

For the one-leg hop, the researchers found that the knee sleeve altered the pre-flight and the landing phase. The ‘flight’ phase itself remained unaffected. Where walking was concerned, the sleeve altered the weight-bearing phase – the time the foot spent on the ground. The researchers noticed that wearing a knee sleeve not only improved proprioception in their test subjects’ knees but also their ankles.

By improving proprioception not only locally in the knee, but also having positive effects on the surrounding joints, wearing a knee sleeve can help prevent injuries.

Conclusion

Bracing yourself against injury and preventing strains to your knee joints is key when it comes to enjoying uninterrupted exercise. As consistent training and practice are key to progressing towards your exercise goals and promoting overall wellness, avoiding lengthy interruptions through injury should be at the top of your priority list.

Our bodies are designed to move and even have a sixth sense to help us understand where exactly we are in space. That sense, proprioception, allows you to run over uneven ground without falling. Proprioception allows your knee and ankle joints to make up for any unevenness you encounter. It also prevents you from moving your joints in a way that makes them more susceptible to injury.

Consider proprioception your injury prevention sense. If it is working at its best, it is highly efficient. However, even if you take your exercise seriously, your proprioception may not always be working at its nest.

Take exercising at the end of a busy working day, for example. Perhaps you have spent the day sitting in front of a computer without moving much. Your body may still be tired. Exercise will help blow the cobwebs away, but tiredness may predispose you to injury because your sense of proprioception is not at its best.

This is when knee sleeves and compression pants can make all the difference. Combining them into one knee-stabilizing compression pant, as Bracelayer's unique design does, means you get the advantages of both in one piece of gear. Compression around your hips and knees improves blood flow and muscle activation. As a consequence, surrounding muscles better support your joints.

The Tri-Tech layers around your knee and hip joints aid your sense of proprioception.

They enhance your joint’s ability to ‘read’ the ground you are running or cycling on and direct your joint to move in the best possible way.

Especially as you are nearing the end of your exercise session, when joints and muscles are starting to feel tired, this support is crucial. Even if your training regime is relatively gentle, your joints deserve a helping hand. Knee stabilizing compression pants are perfect for that. They help improve your balance and stabilize your joints.

Stable movements within the knee joint’s normal range of motion are healthy movements. They go a long way towards preventing downtime from injuries and keep you exercising for a long time to come.

Wrong! Healthy knees are possible whether you’re an amazing athlete, getting older, or just feel like your knees don’t work "right." If you’re trying to avoid a knee replacement or would just like your knees to feel better, you’ve come to the right place. 

What Happens Inside your Knee?

Your knee is an amazing joint, but it also carries a major load. Knees absorb the pressure of your body weight. They experience wear and tear from normal use — just by carrying your body weight around! Athletes feel even more pressure and pain in their knee joints during high impact activities and because of overuse. 

Inside your knee are menisci or areas of cartilage. As your knees experience stress, the menisci begin to wear away. This causes your surrounding muscles and ligaments to weaken. Since the cartilage is meant to keep your bones from grinding on one another, your cartilage wearing down causes the swelling, pain, and inability to use your knee. This grinding can eventually lead to osteoarthritis and other degenerative knee problems.

How can you take care of your knees? Check out our tips:

Eat a Healthy Diet

Your knee is made up of tendons, ligaments, and bones, all of which work together. Strengthening your muscles and tendons help your bones stay healthy and strong, improving your overall knee health. A healthy diet can help strengthen your muscles and ligaments. Your diet should include:

• Protein – Eating enough protein helps your body build more collagen and elastin, which your body needs to build healthy tissues, keeping your ligaments and tendons strong. Try including ½ gram of protein per pound of your weight to improve your knee’s tissues, ligaments, and muscles. 

• Vitamin C – Include plenty of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables in your diet to strengthen the collagen. Vitamin C deficiencies weaken the knee’s collagen, causing tendon and muscle issues. Foods rich in vitamin C include broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, strawberries, and citrus fruits.

• Omega 3s – Your body naturally has an inflammatory response after an injury, but foods rich in Omega 3s can also help fight the inflammation. Omega 3 fats include fish, walnuts, and flaxseed. Omega 3s also help your body increase its muscle protein, which helps maintain proper muscle mass.

• Vitamin D and calcium – Calcium builds strong bones and vitamin D helps your body absorb that calcium. Calcium also helps with nerve pain and muscle contractions. Calcium-rich foods include milk, leafy greens, and broccoli. Vitamin D rich foods include egg yolks, salmon, mushrooms, and tuna.

Take Preventative Measures 

Taking care of your body before, during, and after workouts is important for your knee health. Warming up and cooling down your muscles reduces the risk of an injury, while providing proper compression helps support the knee, also preventing knee injuries during your workout.

Warming up before exercising moves the blood through the joints and muscles, strengthening your knees and preventing injuries. Stretching also helps give your knees a greater range of motion, which improves your results when exercising. As you move your knee, it releases synovial fluid, which is like a lubricant for your knee joint.  This helps protect the knee joint, and gives it a greater range of motion during your work out. 

Warm-ups that focus on your knees include:

• Exercise bike – Pedaling helps get the blood moving through the knee area. Set the bike to its lowest resistance and bike for 5 minutes or so to loosen things up.

• Squats – Using on your body weight, squat gently, to warm up your leg and knee muscles, getting them ready for your workout. Wall squats are a great variation if you need extra stability.

• Stair climb or march in place – Bending your knees while doing simple cardio helps gets your blood flowing. Stair climbing may also double as your cardio workout, but during your warm-up, go slow and focus on using your knees properly

• Brisk walking – Walk at a brisk pace for 5 to 10 minutes to get the blood flowing throughout your body, allowing a greater range of motion and healthier movement of your knee joints. 

If you have any type of knee injury or you worry about overworking your knees, it's also worth considering wearing a compression sleeve. Properly compressing with knee sleeves and compression tights help increase blood flow and reduce pain. Knee compression gives your knee more flexibility, range of motion, and endurance while allowing you to work out at a steady and healthy pace. 

Stay Active & Feel The Burn

Your exercise routine should focus on weight training and resistance band training. Try avoiding any workouts that put too much strain on the knees, including high impact cardio exercises, such as running and jumping, or squats with heavy weights. Instead, incorporate weight and resistance band training for weight loss and strength building while being gentle on the knees.

When weight training, consider starting with low weight dumbbells. This isn’t a weight lifting contest — the idea is to go slow and steady. Get your body used to the low weights before increasing them. The faster you increase the weight, the harder it is on your knees. 

When using weights, consider the following:

• Start with a few reps and build your endurance up by adding more. If an exercise calls for 10 reps, start with 2 or 3 and see you feel. Once you master the maximum number of reps for each exercise, increase your weights by a few pounds and start all over again, with small repetitions, allowing your body time to get used to the heavier weights before increasing your repetitions.

• If you aren’t ready for weights or you want to slowly break into them, try resistance band training first. Resistance bands use your own body weight for resistance. You’ll get just as much of a workout without the risk of hurting yourself using heavy weights. You may be surprised at how well a resistance band can assist your efforts. 

Allow Time to Recover

Every time you work out, you create tiny tears in your muscles and ligaments. This is how your body gets stronger. Your body has to work overtime to repair those muscles and ligaments, which then results in more cell growth and stronger muscles. 

After working out, always cool down. It gives your muscles time to stop contracting and to start repairing by enhancing the body’s blood flow, especially to the areas that need help, such as your knees. Give your body plenty of time to cool down and recover. Don’t do any strenuous activity immediately after working out, keep everything slow and steady. 

If you’ve injured yourself or your feel strained after working out, allow plenty of time to recover using some of the following:

• Massage — Self-massage in the near area, helps promote blood flow to the area, which helps it heal faster. Work in small, circular strokes and stop if you feel any discomfort or sudden pain. Self-massage should feel comforting, not jarring. 

• Physiotherapy — Get help from a physiotherapist that can recommend proper knee strengthening exercises based on the nature and depth of your injury. Physiotherapy helps increase your knee’s flexibility, manages the pain, and helps increase your knee’s strength, allowing you to get back to working out at full capacity again. 

• PRICE — The PRICE method, Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation is your best friend when suffering from a knee injury. Protect is the newest addition to this acronym — maybe because it seems obvious, but protecting your knee from further injury is crucial. Rest gives your body time to recover. As you rest, consider elevating your leg to reduce inflammation and encourage healing. Use ice for the first 48-72 hours to keep down the swelling and increase the blood flow to the area. Find an ice pack that sits comfortably on your knee, allowing you to ice the area for 20 minutes at a time throughout the day. Compression keeps the knee stable and reduces pain, and elevation helps reduce inflammation as well. 

Healthy knees help enhance your body’s overall wellness. Your knees carry your body and control how your body maneuvers. Knee pain can make you feel miserable and incapable of handling even the simplest tasks. Knowing how to care for your knees not only during an injury, but all of the time will help you age gracefully, keep you active, and give you the chance to live life the way you imagined even into your golden years.

A Major Frustration for Athletes with Severe Knee Instability 

When you’re an athlete who is already dealing with the frustration of having a knee injury, the last thing you want to be doing is constantly tugging up a custom knee brace. Even if you’re not back in the gym yet, struggling to keep your knee brace where it belongs — around your knee, stabilizing it — can be a real problem.

As is so often done nowadays, you have probably gone online to find some sort of solution — anything but duct tape to keep your knee brace in place while you go about your daily life or physical therapy.

Let’s look at how to actually keep your knee brace from slipping down.

Why is Your Knee Brace Slipping?

To understand how to stop your knee brace from slipping, it’s a good idea to understand why your knee brace is falling down in the first place.  Even when you are wearing your knee brace correctly, more often than not, there will be distal migration or sliding of the knee brace down the leg. This is a very common problem. 

Fundamentally, you’re fighting gravity. All the straps on your knee brace are desperately battling against that constant force that only those who have experienced outer space-like environments have escaped. All-day, every day, gravity is doing its best to pull your knee brace down.

Another major issue that causes knee braces to slip is that the circumference of your thigh is greater than the circumference of your calf. If you think of strapping your knee brace to an upside-down traffic cone, it’s pretty easy to imagine why it’s prone to slip down.

Thankfully, when it comes to your conical-shaped legs, there is the gastrocnemius muscle. This muscle is what creates that little “shelf” on the back of your calf. Ensuring that your brace fits correctly and a strap can be snugged down right above the gastrocnemius muscle is essential in your battle against a migrating brace.

Another major and fundamental issue you face with your brace is the hinge. Many companies use a polycentric hinge, which centers the hinge over the knee. Unfortunately, this hinge does not allow for the roll and glide movement of the knee. If you’ve not gotten your brace yet, or are looking for a new brace, make sure you talk to your physical therapist, orthopedic specialist, and doctor about the exact kind of hinge in the brace — push to get a roll and glide hinge.

How do I put on a hinged knee brace properly?

Knowing how to put on a custom hinged knee brace the right way is the first step to prevent the brace from sliding down the leg. Most custom braces will have 4 straps and the order in which you put them on does affect how the knee support will fit on your leg. When you are being fitted for a brace, the technician will show you the proper way to put it on, but you can also always refer to the manufacturer guidelines for a refresher. For example, here are the manufacturer directions on how to put on your DonJoy knee brace the right way. 

So, How Do Bracelayer® Knee Stabilizing Compression Pants Stop my Knee Brace From Sliding Down?

Bracelayer® Tri-Tech compression is constructed with an internal layer of thin, medical-grade, perforated neoprene. The pliable and textured nature of this layer helps 'lock' hard shell knee braces into place and the anti-bacterial, moisture-wicking Stabiluxe™ base ensures maximum comfort. It draws moisture away from the skin to help stop the distal migration (or sliding) of the knee brace down the leg.

Can a Knee Brace be Worn Over Your Bracelayer® Compression Pants?

One of the most common questions we get is: can you wear a knee brace over our leggings? The answer is: yes! Knee braces pair great with Bracelayer® compression gear. Although, you may find that you have to loosen your brace straps off a bit when you wear the brace with our pants but our compression tights are thin enough to comfortably sift under most DonJoy, Ossur, Generation II, CTi, and other custom-made, hinged knee braces.

Not the best advice from the internet...

One person seeking advice for how to keep knee brace from slipping down through the Knee Guru forum wrote:

“I have tightened it so much that I have pressure ridges all up and down my leg--and I can't even walk from the bedroom to the living room before the things fall down around my ankle and the opening for the patella is on my shin!”

Ideas started tumbling in, with people suggesting everything from an ace wrap under the brace to self-adhesive tape. In other places on the internet, you’ll find people building makeshift solutions. One video blogger suggests using sticky-back, hook velcro and attaching a thin rubber material to the back of it. The velcro part can then be attached to the inside of the knee brace, while the rubber will have more grip on your pants or skin, preventing the brace from migrating.

Another suggestion floating around out there is the idea of wearing a compression sleeve over the top of your knee brace, with the hope of pressing it tighter against your skin or clothing to cause more friction and prevent gravity from tugging it down. There is also the idea of combining several of these options. Though everyone seems to be trying to develop a solution, nobody seems particularly happy with what they were doing.

Yes, adding a compression wrap is much better than wearing a knee brace around one’s ankle, but it's still far from ideal. It might seem inevitable that a knee brace will start slipping down your leg as you go through physical therapy or when you are back out on the field, but it’s not.

The Real Solution to Distal Migration

There are companies that sell knee brace undersleeves, but these can also roll down and move independently from each other.

With the right compression pants, you can prevent the distal migration of a custom knee brace.

The right compression pants mean that it will no longer be necessary to tug up your brace mid-stride on your morning jog. Additionally, the right compression pants can limit skin trauma caused by the friction of knee brace straps.

The innovative Bracelayer® compression pants are designed with a supportive layer around the knee, which also insulates your IT bands, hips, and lumbar. The layer is made from compression fabric and has a thin layer of medical-grade perforated neoprene on top, which is then covered with a compression mesh.

The pants are also thin enough to comfortably sift under DonJoy, Ossur, Generation II, CTI, and any other custom knee brace. 

With the mission “to improve athletic performance, speed recovery, and reduce pain through the targeted compression and stabilization of key muscles and joints,” Bracelayer® has designed exactly those compression pants. Pants that provide support for your knee, while also preventing your knee brace from slipping.

Final Thoughts: how to keep knee brace from slipping down

The solution for how to keep knee braces from slipping down is simple. Before Bracelayer® was founded in 2015, things might have been more complicated. You might have had to use a compression wrap below your brace or pulled sleeves over the top. Now, the variety of styles of Bracelayer® knee sleeve compression pants mean that you can save your wraps and etc. for another occasion.

Bracelayer® Compression Pants with built-in knee sleeve are the ultimate solution to stop your custom knee brace from migrating down your leg.

I've been wearing a custom, rigid, hinged knee brace due to an ACL injury, which resulted in severe stability problems in my left knee, for over 20 years. I have experienced a few chronic issues with these braces over the years, which I will discuss shortly, but all-in-all, customized knee braces are a true lifesaver for those wanting to maintain an active lifestyle while dealing with knee advanced problems. 

When knee ligaments are damaged the result can be severe knee instability and pain, not to mention all the other ways it can impact one’s daily routine and lifestyle. And the best, non-surgical option to combat knee instability is to get fitted and wear a custom knee brace. Most custom braces are rigid and have one or two hinges. Sometimes, the orthopedic technician fitting you for your brace will make a knee and leg cast and use the mold to have the custom-fitted knee brace made. Or they may simply take detailed measurements of the joint and leg as a reference for the custom knee brace manufacturer. 

Knee Injuries are a Pain in the Leg Joint

I’ve been wearing a custom knee brace since I was 15 years old to combat severe knee instability. My knee troubles stem from an injury during a high school basketball game. I was taking the last step for a layup when my left foot planted in some water that had been spilled on the court. My knee bent left and there was a loud but muffled popping sound. The pain was fairly intense and the swelling was immediate. By the time the game had ended and we drove back to our town, which was about an hour away, my knee seemed to be the size of my head. I could barely bend it due to the swelling.

I suffered a complete tear of my left ACL during that basketball game. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is a commonly injured knee ligament, particularly in sports that involve jumping, planting & twisting, and changing direction. The ACL connects the thighbone to the shinbone and plays an integral part in knee stabilization. It was a devastating blow for a young person whose life revolved around sports. 

"Blow Outs" & Reconstructive Knee Operations 

My bones were still growing, so the orthopedic doctor suggested that I wait to have surgery, which I did. Unfortunately, during that time I was overly active and would continuously “blow out” my knee during volleyball and hockey games and while snowboarding.

During this waiting period, I ripped up a good amount of additional meniscus and cartilage which was removed during my first ACL reconstruction the following year, when I was 16. They used a patellar tendon graft for this reconstruction, but within six months I knew it hadn’t held. My knee was continuing to blow out at all too frequent intervals. In hindsight, I could have taken it a lot easier and probably held off even longer to have the ACL reconstruction — but teenagers are full energy, stubborn, and “invisible.” And as my mother would say, “hindsight is 20/20”.

I tried not to let my injury slow me down, but over the course of the next twenty-plus years, I had a number of knee operations. These included a few arthroscopic surgeries to remove more damaged meniscus and cartilage, as well as two more unsuccessful ACL reconstructions using a hamstring tendon graft from my left leg and then right leg. Most recently, my surgeon performed an opening wedge high tibial osteotomy, where my tibia plateau was cut in half and a wedge-shaped disc from my pelvic bone was inserted into it. This surgery is intended to realign the knee and allow the patient to carry more weight on the healthiest part of their knee.

Custom Fitted ACL Knee Braces Help you to Maintain an Active Lifestyle  

Throughout the course of all these knee surgeries, l have been able to maintain an active lifestyle, largely thanks to custom knee braces. My first three rigid, hinged knee braces were made in Richmond B.C. by Generation II Inc. (now Ossur). These braces were the Generation II Extreme Custom ACL knee braces, which featured a single hinge on the outside out the knee and a nice secure fit.

The next type of brace I tried was an Össur CTi Custom ACL brace, which has a double hinge design. Unfortunately, I couldn’t use my CTi brace for very long, as I had my high-tibial osteotomy surgery done shortly after having it made. The surgery changed the angle of my knee leg enough that the custom brace no longer had a custom fit and couldn't be used.

I now find myself sporting a DonJoy Defiance III custom ACL knee brace, which is a great choice for anyone with severe knee instability. It also has a double hinge design and fits like a glove. I am in the market for a new brace again next year and will most likely go with another Donjoy Defiance knee brace.

There is a number a great custom knee brace manufacturers including DonJoy Global, Breg Inc. and Össur. A good starting point is to talk to a local orthotics shop. They can help show you the different models and point you in the right direction.

Knee Brace Migration & Skin Trauma

The number one job of these fancy, carbon fibre, hinged accessories is to combat severe knee instability and, if fitted and made correctly, they do their job very well. That being said: they can be bulky, clumsy, restricting, and can take a while to get used to wearing.

But the two biggest problems that I have experienced with all the different custom knee braces that I've used over the years are:

1) The migration or slipping of the knee brace down the leg during activity or when worn over longer periods of time.
2) Skin trauma caused by pinching and rubbing from the knee brace straps. 

These chronic problems are two of the driving forces behind the creation of Bracelayer® Apparel Ltd. We wanted to create a functional compression pant that could be worn on its own to provide levels of knee support not found in traditional compression garments but could also be worn under custom knee braces to stop them from sliding down the leg, give some protection for knee brace strap irritation and trauma, and also also give some protection to the other knees.

Bracelayer Compression Gear: Making Bracing a Breeze 

Bracelayer® Knee Compression Pants help solve both of these issues by incorporating a thin layer of perforated neoprene around the knee, IT bands, and lower lumbar area.

This layer of perforated neoprene is thin enough to fit comfortably under custom knee braces, but is also strong enough to provide relief from from those straps pinching and digging into the athlete's skin. It also provides grip, even while sweating and during prolonged periods of sport, to keep the knee brace firmly in the place where it is designed to be.

And the best part about wearing our Bracelayer® Knee Sleeve Compression Pants under your custom knee brace is that you are giving your other knee a layer of support, stability, and protection that it deserves.

Knee injuries are, unfortunately, all too common in sports. As a preventative measure, some athletes will turn to knee sleeve protection to reduce their risk of getting injured. Others wear knee compression devices to relieve pain, control swelling and inflammation, and experience added joint support. 

Traditionally, there have been 3 types of knee compression available to athletes looking for varying degrees of warmth, stability and support.

Cloth Knee Sleeves are the thinnest type of knee sleeve available. They provide mild compression and some warmth to the joint and surrounding muscles. A cloth knee sleeve can be made from any number of materials including polyesters, cotton, acrylics, and will usually contain Lycra or spandex for their elasticity. They provide limited injury protection and knee support.

Neoprene Knee Sleeves are more substantial than cloth knee sleeves and come in a variety of thicknesses. Neoprene sleeves, such as the Rehband Knee Sleeves, are a popular choice for powerlifters and CrossFit enthusiasts. Although much bulkier than a cloth knee sleeve, a neoprene knee sleeve provides improved knee stability along with more warmth and greater injury prevention, which makes them a staple in weightlifting and CrossFit gyms. 

Knee Wraps are typically worn for performance and heavy powerlifting. Wraps provide extreme compression but can also be cumbersome and require significant attention. They are best used during short periods of intense activity, such as lower bodybuilding exercises such are squats and deadlifts. 

How do you stop your knee sleeves from rolling down?

Most athletes in need of knee compression find themselves choosing between the first two alternatives: cloth knee sleeves or neoprene knee sleeves. One of the biggest problems with all these knee sleeve options is that they tend to roll down and require continual adjustment. To solve this problem, some people turn to wearing compression tights with knee sleeves on top — and have limited success.

Is it OK to wear knee sleeves on top of compression pants?

Yes, it is. But now, there is a much better option!

Bracelayer's knee brace pants provide all of the benefits of traditional compression tights along with the warmth and stability found in neoprene knee sleeves, all while maintaining a low profile. 

Our compression pants are moisture-wicking and have anti-bacterial properties to keep you feeling fresh and odor-free. Around the knees, hips, and along the IT band is a thin layer of perforated neoprene to provide targeted compression, stability, and warmth to active and recovering knees. Since the perforated neoprene is only 1.5 mm to 2mm in thickness, the brace layer of our compression pants is thin enough to wear under custom knee braces or knee wraps.

So stop playing around with individual knee sleeves and get the all in one solution — Bracelayer® Knee Brace Pants!

 

Bracelayer® Knee Stabilizing Compression Pants have medical grade ventilated neoprene knee sleeves built into each leg.

Bracelayer® knee brace pants are the all in one solution for athletes looking to replace their knee sleeves. Bracelayer® compression tights have medical grade ventilated neoprene built right into each knee. They are built on a moisture-wicking and anti-odor Stabiluxe™ base. They also pair great with custom knee braces.