It’s no secret that knees are “involuntarily” one of the body parts most prone to injury, ranging from small bruises from falls to fractures resulting from trauma. Knee injuries don’t only happen to athletes; they can also occur due to factors as simple as aging or obesity.
When you experience knee pain or discomfort, it’s best to visit orthopedist Carlos Rebollón for a professional evaluation. In the meantime, here are some guidelines to learn how to take care of your knees during activities that put more strain on this crucial joint.
How to care for your knees during exercise?
The following recommendations are tailored to activities that generate more impact on this important joint, such as running, cycling, and lower body exercises…
How to care for your knees when running?
Running is one of the most stress-relieving activities and an excellent cardiovascular exercise. However, to fully enjoy it, you need to have good joint health. If you plan to keep running for many more years and are willing to reduce the risk of injuries, you should:
Perform a warm-up: Stretch your body and start with a gentle jog for the first 10 or 15 minutes to gradually prepare yourself for increasing the intensity of the run.
Choose appropriate footwear: Running with poorly cushioned shoes is both dangerous and detrimental to your musculoskeletal system. Select running shoes that are suitable for your weight, foot strike, and type of exercise.
Maintain a healthy diet: People who are overweight are more prone to various knee problems. A balanced diet will help you maintain your ideal weight and provide your body with the nutrients it needs for your bones, muscles, cartilage, and ligaments to withstand the impact of any exercise.
How to care for your knees when cycling?
It’s common for many people to experience knee discomfort after a long bike ride, especially if they are not accustomed to this type of activity. However, the situation changes when we talk about individuals who engage in cycling as a sport, where injuries can occur due to excessive training or poor technique.
In cycling, everything is about the adjustment between your body and the bicycle, which should be perfect to prevent injuries. If you’re wondering how to care for your knees before delving into this fascinating discipline, prepare yourself and take note of the following tips:
Adjust the seat to your height: Seats that are too high or too low can cause improper flexion or extension of your legs. The force you exert to compensate for poor posture can damage your knees.
Align your shoe cleats: Cleats allow for slight movement of the foot while pedaling. Excessive floating or mispositioning of your feet can lead to knee discomfort. Any undue pressure during pedaling will directly impact your knees, so be careful with this.
Include a warm-up: Contrary to popular belief, cyclists also require an initial warm-up before getting on their bicycles. This exercise routine should contribute to the comprehensive stretching of your legs, as well as your core, back, hips, and upper limbs.
How to care for your knees when doing squats?
The secret to caring for your knees when doing squats lies in performing them correctly. Improper execution of squats can cause damage to various elements of the knee. To prevent this, here’s what you should do:
Monitor the position of your knees: Your knees should stay in line with your feet as you lower yourself, never positioned too far forward. If you feel your heels lifting during the exercise, it means you're doing it wrong. Correct your posture and pay attention to this with each repetition.
Use your hip to reduce loads: The hip joint supports a much greater weight than the knee, this is something that you can take advantage of. Begin the squat by moving your buttocks slightly back and you will see how you perceive a more comfortable exercise with less impact on your knees.
Control the opening of your feet: When doing squats your feet should be in line with your shoulders to improve the precision of the exercise, it is also important that the balls of the feet point slightly outward. As a last point, it is essential that you gradually increase the weight that you are going to support so as not to expose your body to an unnecessary overload that is harmful to your health.
