Hyperextension
16 September 2025 Shirley Mullany
Hyperextension
Hyperextension, also referred to as locking, is the “excessive movement of a joint in one direction (straightening). In other words, the joint has been forced to move beyond its normal range of motion.”*
Injuries resulting from hyperextension can occur in many parts of the body, the most susceptible being the “knees, ankles, elbows, shoulders, neck and fingers.”* Soft tissues (ligaments, joint capsule etc.) “absorb more stress, rather than having bones and muscles share the load. This can result in strain and tears of the ligaments, and/or muscle and tendon strain, especially the hamstrings and calf muscles, which try to stabilize the knee.”*
Hyperextension of the knee can have a knock-on effect to other “adjacent parts such as hips, ankles causing further misalignment, strain, tension or injury.”**
Following are some tips to avoid hyperextension gathered from: yoga teachers; readings, especially yoga material; working out for myself as I have the tendency to lock my knees and elbows, hence these parts of the body being the focus:
Use a micro-bend in knees or elbows instead of locking them straight. By micro-bending your knee just a tiny amount you will create the correct alignment in the joint and start to develop strength and stability.
Engage the muscles rather than over-relying on straightening the joint.
For elbows: in weight-bearing postures (plank, downward dog, side plank, etc.), avoid sinking weight into the arms by locking the elbows. Soften the elbows, rotate the arms correctly (external/internal rotation depending on pose) turning the inner elbows toward each other and engaging the triceps and biceps to support the joint. Straighten the arm from the muscle, not from the joint.
For knees: in straight leg standing poses (triangle, tree, warrior 3, forward folds):
keep a slight bend, engage the hamstrings to help prevent the knee from locking back. The hamstrings are knee flexors (when we contract the hamstrings the knee bends) and contracting them prevents hyperextension (as the biceps do for the elbows).
Lift your kneecaps and the front of your thighs (activating quadriceps) – helps maintain joint integrity.
Work on developing your Gluteal muscles and releasing tight hip flexors that may be causing you to tilt your pelvis forward therefore hyperextending your knee joints as a result.
Energetically draw the feet towards each other while gently lifting the kneecaps. This co-activation will hug the knee joint and prevent hyperextension.
Develop the inner arches of your feet and try to become more aware of how you are spreading the weight across all four corners of your feet when you are on and off your yoga mat.
Stretch with awareness, not with force.
Full extension using muscular intelligence supporting the joint from all sides.
Use engagement, awareness, and props if needed to train the body toward healthy alignment.
The body should be trained with awareness, not force or ego. Pushing to achieve a ‘perfect pose’ can lead to hyper-extension and injury. Work with Intelligence, Not Ambition.
Stability in joints and muscles precedes trying to achieve full range of motion.
As a practice to help with not hyperextending in the knee, stand with back against the wall, feet hip width apart and soft blocks behind the calves to hold the calves forward.
References
**https://www.doctor-yogi.com/yoga-anatomy-blog/2018/1/17/locking-the-knee?utm_source=chatgpt.com
B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga
Geeta S. Iyengar, Yoga in Action: Preliminary Course
Silva, Mira & Shyam Mehta, Yoga The Iyenga Way
Flourish Yoga Blog “Elbows & Knees — Hyperextension: What is it and how to avoid it” published on January 28, 2020. (Flourishyoga.co.nz – Flourish yoga – Takapuna, Yoga & Meditation