To strengthen the knees without leaving home, we can perform gentle and simple exercises with which we will achieve greater flexibility. It is important that we are consistent and avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
It doesn’t matter if we are 30, 40 or 60 years old. Many people suffer from knee problems after suffering an injury, or due to the typical wear and tear associated with age. It may seem like a simple joint but, according to traumatologists, it is one of the most complex.
The knees are responsible for supporting our weight when we are standing, and the ones that allow us to flex and extend our legs.
They are a fascinating and complex set of bones, muscles, ligaments and fibrocartilaginous discs that, at the slightest problem, blow, inflammation or wear and tear, immediately cause pain, thus limiting a large part of our daily activity.
What can we do then? In addition to following medical treatment, what kind of exercise can I do to improve your flexibility?
Can I ride a bike? Can I go out dancing or will I have to take a painkiller first to be able to do what I would like? We give you all the answers in the following article.
Physical activities suitable for people who suffer from knee pain
Sports medicine experts tell us that knee problems are usually associated with our lifestyle habits, various diseases such as arthritis or osteoporosis, a sedentary lifestyle and, sometimes, also gender.
For example, women are more likely to suffer from the classic loss of bone mass, which is why joints such as the knees are more affected over time.
Knees are precision machines that feel the passage of time and that we must take care of every day. How? Through an adequate diet and moderate physical exercise that takes care of their mobility without forcing them.
What are the most beneficial sports for a person suffering from knee pain?
- Swimming, especially in the backstroke.
- The elliptical cross trainer (be careful, always moderately. Also tell you that riding a bike will not be appropriate in these cases, although the sports doctors tell us that we can do it, as long as we raise the saddle so that the knees do not overload).
- Is it appropriate to go for a run or walk if I have knee pain? In these cases, specialists clarify that “you don’t have to run to be in shape, the most prudent thing to do is to be in good shape before deciding to go for a run or take a long walk”.
- In other words, if your knees hurt, do not make unnecessary efforts that will further accentuate the suffering, injury or problem you have in your knee.
- If you are one of those people used to going for a walk every day, it will not be appropriate for you to get tired, or to do it at a very fast pace.
- It should always be a very smooth walk and on terrain where there are no obstacles, so that there is a correct plantar footprint in which we achieve adequate alignment with the knee and hip.
- Therefore, it is best to avoid walking in fields, parks or urban routes where there are unevenness in the sidewalks, or obstacles that can affect the balance of your knees. It will always be more accurate to use a treadmill, at a low speed, where you feel safer.
Simple exercises you can practice at home to strengthen your knees
We must think of our knees as if they were “springs”, joints that need harmonious, smooth and precise movements where we do not make sudden efforts.
If they do, that spring can get out of control and pain appears. To strengthen the knees we can practice simple exercises at home that will help us to continue having adequate mobility. Do you want what they are? Notes!
1. Wall squats
- Stand with your back to the wall, with a ball located right in the hollow of your back.
- Place your hands behind the back of your neck.
- Stand on your tiptoes and hold in this position for 10 seconds. Rest and repeat 5 times.
- Now, in the same position, with your back against the wall, start crouching until your legs form a 90-degree angle. Then, it goes back up. Repeat 5 times. Very easy!
2. Smooth strides
- This exercise is very simple. You should stand up and then lengthen one of your legs to take a stride. After this stride we will bend the knee, but always accompanied by the pelvis, so that the movement is smooth and harmonious and does not cause you suffering.
- Now switch legs and repeat the exercise 5 times.
3. Place a weight
- In sports stores you will find different weights (or “weights”) that we can place on the ankles. The purpose? Stiffen the knee joint and make it more flexible.
- To do this, we just have to sit in a chair, place the weight on one of the ankles and lift little by little. Do this for 5 minutes, then switch legs.
It would be very appropriate if you dedicate between 40 minutes and an hour each day to these simple exercises that you can do quietly at home.
The important thing is to avoid a sedentary lifestyle, as this will cause the knees to lose their flexibility and weaken the joints even more.
Shall we start today?
Source: Better with Health
