What are some exercises to protect your knees?

The knee is an important hub in the human body. It connects to the femur (thigh bone) upwards and the tibia and fibula downwards, making it an indispensable part of human activities. However, because knee movement requires the coordination of muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage, it is prone to injury. So, what are some exercises that can protect your knees? Let me introduce it to you in detail below.

Patients with knee injuries have two misconceptions about exercise. Some people suffer from joint pain and worry that exercise will damage already damaged joints, so they take the measure of exercising less or even staying in bed for a long time. Some people think that only by exercising more can they loosen up their stiff joints, so they exercise while gritting their teeth. Some even exercise more when the pain is greater. Experts say neither approach is advisable. If you stay in bed for a long time, your muscles and joints will become stiff. Appropriate exercise can provide lubrication and nutrition to the joints, so moderate exercise is essential. How to control the amount of exercise? Experts say that it is best to rest for two hours without feeling overly tired or experiencing swelling or pain when you wake up the next day.

So, for middle-aged and elderly people who want to protect their knees, which exercises are not suitable and which exercises should they do? Experts say that for middle-aged and elderly people, mountain climbing, Tai Chi and ball games will increase the burden on the knee joints. Therefore, patients with knee arthritis should avoid climbing mountains, practicing Tai Chi, etc. When people perform these exercises, the load on the knee joint is about 4 times their body weight, which can cause damage to the joints. Some middle-aged and elderly people like to practice Tai Chi to strengthen their bodies. However, when practicing Tai Chi, people are in a half-squatting position for a long time, which is harmful to people with bad knee joints. Normal people should warm up before doing the above exercises to put their joints in the best condition before exercising.

So, what kind of exercise can protect your knees? Experts suggest that you can try slow walking and swimming, both of which can slow down the aging and degenerative changes of cartilage tissue. When swimming, the joints are subject to less force due to buoyancy. Even if you can't swim, walking in water is good for your joints because the buoyancy of your body in water reduces pressure on your joints, and the water flow provides resistance that strengthens your muscles. However, we need to remind everyone not to walk for too long continuously, and to rest immediately when your knees feel uncomfortable. When walking, lift your legs slowly and put them down gently, and control your pace within 60 steps per minute. Each exercise lasts 20 to 30 minutes.

The above is the relevant knowledge about knee protection exercises that I introduced to you. I hope everyone will cherish their knees and their bodies. At the same time, you must pay attention to safety when exercising and never do dangerous actions easily. You should supplement more calcium in your daily life to strengthen your bones and protect your knees from injuries. I wish you good health.