As we age, general wear and tear begins to take its toll on the human body. Joints stiffen, muscles ache, and exhaustion can set in sooner than we’re used to experiencing.
Athletes likely understand this better than just about anyone. The constant strain and impact caused by any number of exercises can damage the human body over time, and it could trigger an alteration to a safe exercise regimen.
A new report points out that the knee is perhaps more susceptible than many other areas of the body. The author relates one study which estimates that as many as 25% of sports injuries involve the knees. The reason has to do with the nature of our knees. They provide us with mobility and a means to get around, but the nature of walking and running is such that this joint takes more pressure than just about any other section of the human body.
That same report offers some helpful tips that can be put into action either by those who suffer from knee pain or who want to avoid it heading into the future. The advice is geared toward preventing tears of the meniscus, circular cartilage that often faces the brunt of strain that occurs in the knees.
First, people have to understand that a knee injury is nothing to be trifled with. What might start out as dull pain could quickly progress to something much more serious. If you’re exercising and knee pain flares up, or if you’re simply walking and your knee does the same, then you need to rest. If pain intensifies, a doctor might even be sought. Weight loss can also go a long way toward eliminating pain, as your knees simply don’t have to work as hard when there’s less weight pressing down on them.
Certain exercises can contribute to knee health. The author recommends those activities, like leg extensions, that strengthen a person’s quadriceps. When the area in the thigh becomes stronger, the area around the knee also tends to see improvement.
Proper stretching is also going to be critical for maintaining knee health. As with what’s listed above, you’re going to want to conduct activities that target the quadriceps. Standing straight up, bend one knee, balancing on one foot, and then pull that leg behind you. You should feel tension in your thighs when you do this. If you hold this stretch and then repeat on the other leg, you’ll get more out of exercise on the whole.
Finally, be ready to switch sports or activities if your knee begins to act up frequently. Runners might turn to cycling or swimming for awhile before trying to ease back into light running after they’ve given their knees time to rest, especially if they've been through an operation and are in the midst of knee arthroscopy recovery.
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