Your knees must function well at all stages of your life.
Functioning knees become even more important as we get older.
Your knee is a weight-bearing joint that absorbs a large amount of pressure every time you take a step.
That pressure is usually one and a half times the weight of your body.
That pressure, along with normal wear and tear, can take a toll on your knees over time.
So, you may find yourself wondering, How Do I Keep My Knees Healthy?
Knee pain can make it difficult to perform everyday tasks like getting out of your chair, walking, and climbing the stairs in your home.
Your knees can ache, swell, and can become your biggest enemy if they aren’t taken care of
However, there are ways you can keep your knees healthy as you age.
A healthy knee leads to a more enjoyable life, especially as we age.
Many people can even delay or completely avoid the need for surgical intervention like a knee replacement.
In the article below, we will talk about a few ways to keep your knees healthy and the Knee Pain Treatment at Ethos Health Group.
Keep A Healthy Weight
Carrying around excess body weight can put a tremendous amount of pressure on your knees.
Every pound of extra weight you put on amounts to four more pounds of force on and even more than that when you go up or downstairs
That means that with every pound of excess weight you lose, you’ll be sparing your knees from having to cope with four additional pounds of extra force.
Exercise
Strong and flexible muscles are critical in preventing knee injuries and can keep your knees in great shape.
Knee strengthening exercises that increase your muscle strength in the muscles and tissues around your knees, like your hamstrings, can help support your knees and promote joint health.
This added muscle can help alleviate pressure and reduce the strain on your knee joint.
This can help relieve pain and allow you to stay active.
If you ever experience pain during exercises, you need to stop doing them and speak with your doctor.
If you have severe knee pain, you should consult with your doctor before starting a new exercise to avoid unnecessary stress on an injured knee.
Here are some easy exercises you can add to your exercise program to try to decrease the effects of aging on your knees and help prevent knee injuries:
- Squats: Squats should be incorporated into your exercise routine often. Try to do squats at least three times a week. To perform a squat, lower your body like you’re about to sit in a chair. Keep your butt out, your head up, and your knees over your ankles.
- Knee extensions: The loss of the ability to bend your knee backward is the largest indicator of chronic knee pain. Even an insignificant loss of this ability can facilitate aging’s effects on your knees. To keep this from happening, prop your heel on an elevated surface while you place an ankle weight on your knee. Try to do this stretch every day.
- Walking and biking: To promote your knee’s overall health, you should continue getting cardiovascular exercise. A good way to keep this up is through biking and walking.
Never ignore a strain or tweak you suffer while exercising.
If you injure your knee while exercising, put it on ice to reduce pain and inflammation.
If it doesn’t go away, you need to see your doctor.
Running Is Okay
Regular physical activity can help maintain joint function, including the range of motion in your knees.
This leads to less force being applied to your knee.
It used to be believed that running was bad for your knees, but new evidence suggests that that might not be the case.
It’s been found that recreational runners have a lower risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee compared to competitive runners or sedentary people.
So if you run, just don’t do it every day.
Do it every other day to allow your body enough recovery time.
You should also mix up your workout routines.
If you run three days a week, add in some bicycling, yoga, swimming, or cross-training on your in-between days.
Also, when you run, avoid hills because you can add strain on your knees by running in hilly terrain.
Wear The Proper Shoes
Wear shoes that are supportive and comfortable will keep your joints healthy as you move.
If you exercise, make sure to wear shoes that suit your activity.
So wear basketball shoes if you play basketball shoes, running shoes if you run, and so on.
They also need to be appropriate for your gait and foot.
Postural abnormalities in your foot can contribute to knee osteoarthritis.
That’s why it’s important to wear shoes that help prevent inward or outward rolling of the feet and keep them in a good position.
If you’re in the market for new shoes, it’s not a bad idea to get professionally evaluated and fitted by someone at a running or sporting goods store.
If you have knee pain, avoid high heels that can make it hard to balance and will increase the load that’s placed on your knees, Willy says.
Pay Attention To Your Posture
As we get older, it’s not uncommon to slouch or become stooped over.
This is a problem because poor posture will change your body’s center of gravity, adding stress to your knees.
Always stand tall with proper alignment.
This means having your head in line with your shoulders, your shoulders over your hips, your hips aligned with your knees, and your knees aligned with your feet.
Doing yoga and core-strengthening exercises such as planks and back extensions can help improve your posture.
They can also prevent irritation under and around your kneecaps and help keep you from falling.
How Do I keep my Knees Healthy and When Should I See A Doctor?
If your knee is in excruciating pain, is swollen, feels stuck, buckles, or gives out, see a doctor immediately.
If you’re just experiencing minor pain in your knee or knee joint, modify your workout and activities.
If you exercise and you’re doing squats, limit your movement by doing half squats instead of full squats.
Avoid knee-extension exercises altogether.
Take a break from activities like running and hiking until your pain foes way as well.
To replace these activities, try swimming that won’t put any additional pressure on your knees.
Try some Home Remedies for Knee Pain such as rest, ice, and capsaicin creams.
If your knee pain persists or gets worse even after taking these steps, it may be time to see a specialist.
Contact Ethos Health Group
If you have searched How Do I keep my knees healthy, and followed all the recommended suggestions but still experience knee pain and don’t want it to worsen, Ethos Health Group can help.
Sometimes no matter what you do to keep your knees healthy, you will still fall victim to chronic knee pain.
Ethos Health Group has developed a proprietary HyalRegen-CT method as a comprehensive solution for those suffering from knee arthritis and joint pain.
Lubricating injections will be performed under precision imaging guidance so that the right areas are being targeted.
This advanced medical process serves to add cushioning fluid back into and around your knee, like oil for a squeaky hinge.
Even more exciting, these F.D.A. cleared injections can help your knees stimulate more of their natural fluid, giving you long-term benefits and relief.
If you would like to learn more about what the Ethos Health Group can do for your chronic knee pain, click the button below to schedule a free consultation.
