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Bow Legs Correction Exercises

woman with bow legs

Bow legs, otherwise known as genu varum, is a medical condition in which the knees stay wide apart when the feet and ankles are touching each other. This is a common condition in toddlers under the age of 18 months however the problem usually right’s itself once the infant starts to walk. If by the age of three the knees are still wide apart when standing straight, bow legs is often diagnosed. Usually no treatment will be performed on young children but as they grow older they may want to perform some bow legs exercises or opt for alternative treatments such as surgery.

Braces and Surgery
A number of things can cause bow legs including rickets and Blount’s disease.  It is vitally important to ensure your child receives enough Vitamin D from sunlight in order to lower their risk of suffering from this condition.  Depending on the age that bow legs is diagnosed, some children may be able to receive braces which are said to encourage the bones to grow straight.  In more severe cases or in older children and adults bow legs surgery may be advised which involves breaking the bone and realigning it.

The price of bow legs surgery depends on where you live in the world.  It can be obtained free in the UK on the NHS and elsewhere in the world the costs will depend on how bowed the legs are.  Most people who have had the surgery have said they found it more than worth it although the recovery time can be anywhere from six to ten weeks.  If surgery and braces aren’t however an option you may want to look into bow legs correction exercises.

Bow Legs Exercises
While most of the following bow legs exercises won’t completely cure bow legs, they will improve your posture which should strengthen your legs and reduce the severity of the condition.  Some of the following exercises can have quite good results when performed by children so they are definitely worth trying.

  • Yoga – Although yoga isn’t the easiest exercise to perform if you have bow legs you can bind your legs together using a yoga strap in order to make things easier. Yoga helps to improve flexibility and body alignment and the moves are known to improve the condition.
  • Pilates – Pilates is similar to yoga in as such that it helps to improve posture and body alignment. Exercises like ballerina arms and roll-up in particular can help to strengthen and tone the leg muscles.
  • Massage Therapy – This is usually performed on children and has been known to alleviate the severity of bow legs when performed regularly. Massage therapy involves having the legs moved around by a trained therapist in order to encourage the legs to straighten as they grow. One method that you might want to try is straightening the leg and then bending it up to your chest. You must repeat this action multiple times to see the benefits.
  • Leg Strengthening – By performing leg strengthening exercises you can help to strengthen the muscles surrounding your knees and hence alleviate some of the pressure that is being placed on your bow legs. These are most effective in people who only have a slight bow in their legs and generally involve placing a weight between the feet and bending and re-straightening the legs. You have to bend your legs until you touch your buttocks. Do as many reps as you can. Start with a light weight, could be a pillow and gradually increase it (dumbbell) as you progress.
Bow legs correction exercise

Bow Legs Correction Exercise

Conclusion
Once you become an adult bow legs can be corrected only through surgery. However, the condition can be improved through exercising. Bow leg exercises also help in preventing any further aggravation of your condition. Bow legs can get worse if the patient gains weight or loses muscle mass. This is why leg strengthening exercises definitely help bow legs sufferers.

Fact: Bow legs (genu varum) is the opposite condition of knock knees (genu valgum)!

{ 47 comments… add one }
  • mariam February 29, 2012, 6:01 pm

    hey! I’m a grown adult and want my legs to become straight. what should i do?

    • katie September 30, 2012, 3:17 pm

      Doctors pls I need your help to help regain my self esteem. Am a
      Nigerian and I have been looking 4 ways to slve this problem of bowlegged but I haven’t. Pls I need to know if the surgery can be done and where it can be done if possible. This is my last hope cos thois thing is killing me slowly. Pls help thank u God Bless.

      • Tokunbo salau April 9, 2017, 11:51 pm

        I did mine october 2016 still in my recovery process yes it is possible

    • Mariam November 30, 2015, 8:23 pm

      Am 15 years old i have bowleg and i want to striagth my leg

  • jaylin September 15, 2012, 8:35 am

    hey doctor.i;m 20 years old and i have bow legs.doctor im too concerned with this problem.my legs really bother me too much.i cant wear short skirt or narrow jeans as every girl does because of this problem.i’m thinking about this almost every minute.please tell me what should i do in this condition?do i have to do a surgery surely?i need your recommends thanks in advance.

  • Rachel December 31, 2012, 1:37 pm

    I too suffer with bow legs and have just started, from today, the walk taking 8 large steps walking backwards with legs parallel placing the whole foot down. This enables the muscles to realine in the upper thigh and buttock. Perform the exercise lots of times during the day and continue for many weeks and see if it improves. Will let you know!! I have been teased by friends and family for as long as I can remember. I but work in the fitness industry so am constantly on show to clients and would love to solve this issue as it too has been a major problem all my life. Have looked into surgery too and its about 10K… ouch!!!!

  • Kristine February 20, 2013, 10:21 pm

    Hi!! I have that called bow legs!! And I really would like to know if there is possible to fix them and make them straight?? And if that kind of operations can be made in UK?? Please really need your help Doc!!! :(((

  • Olivia March 16, 2013, 10:43 am

    pls am really concerned about my bow legs. I need advice on anything i would do on it to get them straight. This bow legs is depriving me my modeling career. Please?

  • Suzy May 20, 2013, 9:57 am

    hey im suffering bow legs too. And i want to straighten my legs. If i have money i would go to “Yakson House” (korean) yakson offers bow legs correction within 30 sessions of bone theraphy. Bone therapy is a remodel of our bones and to properly align it correctly… Yakson house have branch i think only in korea and philippines. Or in other asian country. Make some research about it. I understand what u going through coz i have bow legs too. ;( but i dont have money coz 30 sessions worth 90,000 pesos in my country…

  • Jack jack August 12, 2013, 7:08 pm

    I have bowlegs too!!!ive been hiding my legs since teenager.and im thinking of this imperfection every seconds!im doing 8 steps backwards and other exercise..im planning to try yakson house bowleg correction if 8 steps didnt work..my last option is to have surgery.. Cause i dont want to be old with these bowleg.

    • pak July 9, 2014, 10:28 pm

      hi Jack Jack..have you ever Yakson house yet? did that work out for you?

      • Jesver September 24, 2014, 5:34 am

        I tried going to Yakson House but it didn’t work i just spend thousands for it, but still it was useless.

  • mario hernandez August 21, 2013, 1:23 am

    Hi my name is Mario Hernandez and I have bowlegs and i wonder if you do this surgery i have insurance or i can write a check but I really need to have this surgery my legs 3.5 inches apart I know one doctor from Ukrania but thats too far for me thank you very much for you time have a nice day .

    • jashn September 20, 2016, 3:25 pm

      Surgery is the only way for the correction of bow legs.. the procedure is known as High tibial osteotomy

  • mona February 4, 2014, 4:50 am

    Hi , I have knoked knees problem, and i’m an hair stylist, It’s getting wore’s every day , I have flat feet and i’m using in soles .I need to work, what is the cure. pls let me know. no physio’s has helped me.

    • augustin December 29, 2015, 12:33 pm

      Do a search for bosu pronation correction exercises.

  • jasmin March 27, 2014, 3:33 am

    i am adult 23 years old and have bowlegs wants to treats with home remedy exercises , Is it possible ..? i want some suggestion please help me .. i really suffer ..

  • thiago marinho April 8, 2014, 10:01 pm

    Translated from Portuguese:
    “Bowlegs are considered the most beautiful legs, women shouldn’t worry, I’m speaking about abençuadas bowlegs, which I consider a quality and not a deformity. I want to know exercises to make bowlegs, genuvarum legs, because I consider them perfect and beautiful.”

  • Shahnawaz Ansari June 5, 2014, 6:27 am

    I am 20 years old.I have bowed legs.I don’t wears short paints because of this.I want to correct this using exercise .plz give me some suggestions…plzzz

  • Chibuike June 7, 2014, 9:18 am

    When i was age of 1 to15 i dnt have bowed leg but now i am 18 years old i have bowed leg what i main going to do to treat my bowed leg

  • Bola June 21, 2014, 9:00 pm

    It is true that we have to deal with some issues because of bow-leg but I know God has created me for a purpose and bow-leg will not hinder me from achieving that purpose. Although it hurts because even my family talk about it as if its a disease and I just wish my legs can be straight. I’ll keep trying the excercise. Thanks

  • ADEYEMO OLAWALE JOSEPH August 2, 2014, 9:34 am

    I GOT A BOWED LEG ON MY LRFT LEG 2 YEARS AGO DUE TO AN ACCIDENT I HAD…..CAN IT BE CORRECTED.

  • Ena Jean September 27, 2014, 9:03 am

    I’m a Filipino. What other exercise that can help me straighten my bowed legs?

  • curie November 9, 2014, 10:14 am

    Please I’m an 18 years old girl with bow legs, and a very bad shape. My step sister also has bow legs but hers is beautiful because she has full legs and hips and a very shapely figure. I really need to correct my bow legs but I don’t have enough money to travel out of Nigeria to get it done. Pls does anyone know anywher in Port Harcourt, Nigeria where I can get it done? And probably the cost. Thanks

  • Osaheni January 29, 2015, 3:39 pm

    I have this bow leg that makes me feel intimidated please can I correct it with exercise

  • Munoz March 26, 2015, 5:53 am

    Hi, i have a 16 month old baby girl and she has bow legs i would like to know what can i do to help her her doctor said i have to wait until she turns 2-3 yrs i don’t want to to wait that long. What do you recommend i should do to help my baby please help me.

    • blessed June 12, 2015, 6:43 am

      when you bath you baby cream them after full body cream while you cream legs stretch them out and pull them babies recover from bowed legs easy as they naturally get them and grow out of them. im currently correcting mine with surgery uk

  • ocean Godwins May 12, 2015, 12:42 am

    Doctors pls I need your help to
    help regain my self esteem. Am
    a
    Nigerian and I have been looking 4 ways to
    slve this problem of bowlegged but I
    haven’t. Pls I need to know were the surgery
    can be done and how much it can be done if
    possible. This is my last hope cos thois
    thing is killing me slowly. Pls help thank u
    God Bless.

  • Brandy May 22, 2015, 3:18 pm

    Hi my name is Brandy and I live in Oklahoma… when I was 2 I was playing with crisco under the kitchen sink smearing it everywhere. .. my stepfather got so angry he shook me upside down so hard it caused multiple breaks in both legs. I was in a body cast in which was supposed to be 6 weeks but my parents left me in it for several months…. not only do I have a big disgusting scar on my leg from the cast being on so long it rubbed a hole in it but I’ve also never in my life been able to run. .. I’m 37. This is mostly due to embarrassment because when I try to run my legs go outward extremely. .. it may be to late to correct this but I would still love to run someday if anyone has a achievable solution/ idea? Thank you

  • Anna Watson June 28, 2015, 12:39 am

    many people suffer from bow legs , but for Japanese it is a sign of beauty : P

  • PATIENCE June 29, 2015, 9:28 am

    I SUFFER FROM THIS BOW LEGS TOO,I WILL REALLY LOVE TO GET THEM CORRECTED PLS HLP ME

  • jasvir August 1, 2015, 10:30 am

    doctor I am 21 years old please tell me how to cure bow legs with exercise

  • JB November 11, 2015, 1:51 am

    I’m 16 Years old, and I use to be a runner till my bowed knees hurt so bad that i had to quit running because of it. I am wondering if I should try to do exercises and try a knee brace. I would love to be able to run again. Please let me know.

  • Bernice December 3, 2015, 6:15 am

    Please help me with my problem of knocked knees. This has taken away my self esteem which makes me very timid among my colleagues. It has even prevented me from doing so many things I love to do. Thanks for your help

  • elizabeth December 30, 2015, 8:39 am

    I have bow legs too. I have a very low self esteem because of this. I want my legs to be normal. Please help me. I don’t have enough money for surgery. I am so much willing to try every safe possible cure or remedy for my situation.

  • lalita January 3, 2016, 2:21 pm

    Hello sir plzzzzz tell how to cure bow legs.

  • siduan March 10, 2016, 7:37 pm

    Sir please help i have bow leg and it is affecting my daily activities.please how can i correct it

  • angel March 11, 2016, 5:51 pm

    hi there….can you help me..what are the exercise for bow legged….thank u

  • Rene Cosby April 7, 2016, 2:28 pm

    I’m severely bow legged. I was semi ok living with it. Im 57 years old.
    8 years ago it began to be really hard to walk. It’s very painful now.
    What can I do?

  • steve April 11, 2016, 8:28 pm

    Thank you for such informations.The causes of bow legs may include:
    -Blount’s disease
    -Early exposure to chemicals or toxins
    -osteomyelitis
    -Rickets ….
    Leg exercises,pilates… can be of great help in correcting ones posture But in some more complicated cases, surgery may be the only solution.

  • James April 21, 2016, 7:13 pm

    doctor I am 22 years old please tell me how to cure bow legs with exercise…I want to do…

  • Liline May 20, 2016, 2:06 am

    Hi I been suffered from knock knee since I was born and now am 34. I suffered low self-esteem because of that. If you could help me get them straight I will be very happy. Please help me thanks.

  • Rin October 10, 2016, 4:07 pm

    Hello, I’m 20 years old and I’m bow legged. Can you please tell me the exercises I can do at home to improve the condition.

  • oj December 3, 2016, 11:41 am

    Hello, I am 23 from nigeria, I suffer from bowlegs .please how can it be treated( not with surgery ) or worked on through exercise and where can I sort for treatment in abuja. I am desperate, I need your help pls.

  • Mina February 9, 2017, 5:33 pm

    Respect for you doctor. l have bow legs to. is it possible to solve this problem with exercising every day for a long period? l am asking this because l can’t afford operation. thanks for your time.

  • fabianjimmy June 7, 2017, 5:57 pm

    plz doctor am 21yrs old and i want to cure my bow leg. help me doctor plz

  • Jackline Kyara November 16, 2017, 10:03 pm

    Hi my name is jackline and I have a one year and five month son who is bowlegs.please can u give me some adivece to do some excese to him at home

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