The knee is the biggest joint in the body, and we use it for several activities such as walking, running, and climbing. Therefore, it is most vulnerable to injury and pain. Pain or injury in the knee makes it more difficult to exercise, especially if one is overweight. However, exercise helps one in restoring knee function, alleviating pain and leading to weight loss.
But certain exercises worsen knee pain and put an extra burden on muscles surrounding the knee. Hence, it is important to know which exercises to avoid and which ones to follow if you have knee pain.
Moderate walking is recommended for people with stiff and painful knees. Since it is a low-impact activity, it does not burden the knee joint. Long and slow walks are best for those people who avoid brisk walks. Moreover, daily walking helps in losing weight, since carrying extra weight puts additional stress on the knees.
It’s important to use that equipment, which helps in reducing the burden on the kneecap and the muscles surrounding it. Stationary bikes and elliptical machines are knee-friendly, as one has to bend forward while exercising on these machines. This bent position helps in taking more weight off the knee joints.
Quadriceps and hamstrings are two muscle groups that support knees. Therefore, if these muscles are strong, one may get compensation for the weak tendons, ligaments and joints. Using low-impact exercises to strengthen quads and hamstrings may alleviate pain and reduce chances of injury in the future.
Water’s buoyancy takes the load off the knees and helps in reducing stress and trauma on them. Therefore, those who suffer from knee pain must try exercising in water.
One should avoid exercises that cause exertion to the knees, especially if they have knee pain. Sports such as tennis, squash, basketball and football are hard on the knees, because they involve sudden starts, stops and turns. Activities that give a sudden shock to the knees tend to be pernicious for the knee joint.
Also, read: Suffering from arthritis? These exercises can help you cope with knee pain
It’s essential to switch between exercises to avoid overuse of the joint. Moreover, if one is doing strengthening exercises for the leg muscles, it’s advised to stop when the muscles are fatigued. Fatigued muscles are unable to absorb extra shock and that results in shifting of the shock to the knee joint.
Some exercises require bending knees beyond 90 degrees. These types of movements can aggravate the knee pain. Therefore, health experts recommend avoiding these exercises.
Exercise is one of the best remedies for any type of knee pain. It alleviates stiffness, swelling and strengthens muscles around the knee. According to a study, exercise reduces the progression of arthritis and often yields better results than medications, injections or surgery. Moreover, strengthening exercises help in building quads and hamstrings muscles groups that give direct support to the knee and reduce the chances of pain and injuries.
Exercise is a healthy way to help deal with minor knee pain due to overuse, arthritis, or other causes. Although knee pain may present some exercise barriers, many exercises are easy on the joints and make the situation better. Therefore, it’s essential to carefully choose the moves!
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