Be Nice to Your Knees
Spring weather may be calling you outdoors for gardening, softball, running, or other exercise. Physical activity is good—though starting back to those activities after a less active winter can be bad for your knees. Here’s what you need to know to protect them.
The knee is the largest joint in the body. It gives you flexibility and stability for standing, walking, crouching, running, jumping, and turning. But the number of moving parts in the knee that make it so useful also render it vulnerable to injury.
Arthritis is frequently to blame for knee problems; however, years of simple wear and tear also can take a toll. Plus, sudden movements can strain or even tear knee ligaments or tendons. Women may be especially vulnerable to this kind of injury, perhaps because they tend to bend their knees less than men when they run, jump, and land.
Give your knees a break with these measures:
- Strengthen leg muscles. Strong quadriceps in the front of your thighs and hamstring muscles along the back of the thighs are particularly key in protecting knees. Stair climbing, bike riding, and exercises with weights or elastic bands that work those muscles can help.
- Walk to warm up, then stretch before any workout. Be sure to stretch quadriceps and hamstring muscles to reduce pressure on your knees.
- Increase the amount you exercise slowly and gradually.
- Maintain a healthy weight—every step you take places about three times your body weight on the knees. So even a small loss can make a big difference.
- Wear well-fitting shoes in good condition. If you play a sport, choose shoes designed for that sport.
- Protect knees with appropriate padding while playing sports and during kneeling activities, like gardening.
- Choose low-impact activities like swimming, walking, bicycling, and water aerobics.
If you already have knee problems, talk with your doctor about exercises that can help your knees without increasing the risk for injury or further damage.
