Spring weather may be calling you outdoorsfor gardening, softball, running, or otherexercise. Physical activity is good—thoughstarting back to those activities after a lessactive 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 partsin the knee that make it so useful also renderit vulnerable to injury.
Arthritis is frequently to blame for kneeproblems; however, years of simple wear andtear also can take a toll. Plus, sudden movementscan strain or even tear knee ligamentsor tendons. Women may be especiallyvulnerable to this kind of injury, perhapsbecause they tend to bend their knees lessthan men when they run, jump, and land.
Give your knees a break with these measures:
- Strengthen leg muscles. Strong quadricepsin the front of your thighs and hamstringmuscles along the back of the thighs areparticularly key in protecting knees. Stairclimbing, bike riding, and exercises withweights or elastic bands that work thosemuscles can help.
- Walk to warm up, then stretch before anyworkout. Be sure to stretch quadricepsand hamstring muscles to reduce pressureon your knees.
- Increase the amount you exercise slowly andgradually.
- Maintain a healthy weight—every stepyou take places about three times yourbody weight on the knees. So even a smallloss can make a big difference.
- Wear well-fitting shoes in good condition.If you play a sport, choose shoes designedfor that sport.
- Protect knees with appropriate paddingwhile playing sports and during kneelingactivities, like gardening.
- Choose low-impact activities like swimming,walking, bicycling, and water aerobics.
If you already have knee problems, talk withyour doctor about exercises that can help yourknees without increasing the risk for injury orfurther damage.