Five Tips To Keep Your Knees Healthy And Happy
Your knees are crucial. They accompany you on daily tasks, up and downstairs, on jogs, and anywhere else you need to go. Taking care of knee pain or discomfort should not interfere with your daily activities. Working to keep healthy knees on regularly can help to postpone or prevent knee problems entirely. Pressure, as well as additional wear and tear on your knees, can certainly take a toll on your joints with each step you take. Keeping a good regimen for maintaining your knees healthy as you age is critical, especially if you lead an active lifestyle. These treatments are frequently used to slow the deterioration of cartilage caused by osteoarthritis. These five steps are simple solutions to prevent further injury or relieve stress in the knee that may have been strained.
Consume an anti-inflammatory diet:
Inflammation can cause joint damage, and your daily diet significantly impacts the amount of inflammation in your body. Processed foods, frequently made with white flour and sugar, are a major source of inflammation. Inflammation can also be exacerbated by a diet high in meat, dairy, and eggs. Try an anti-inflammatory, plant-based diet rich in fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, fish, and eight glasses of water per day. Onions, shallots, garlic, and leeks are particularly anti-inflammatory foods. According to research, drinking a small amount of pomegranate juice daily reduces inflammation by 18% and joint pain by more than 60% within three months. The juice of pomegranate contains ellagic acid, a natural anti-inflammatory and helps form strong bones.
Keep a healthy weight:
Your weight puts strain on your joints, particularly your knees, every time you stand or walk. Overweight or obese people are far more likely to damage the cartilage between their joints, resulting in joint pain. You put about four pounds of pressure on your knee joints for every extra pound you carry. Even if you are only ten pounds overweight, you put 40 pounds of extra pressure on your knees. If you are 50 pounds overweight, you are putting 200 pounds of extra pressure on your knees. When you consider how much you walk around daily, it is simple to see why your knee joints are wearing out if you are overweight. Weight loss can play an important role in keeping strong knees, and it prevents joints.
Always keep moving:
Regular physical activity helps maintain joint function, including knee strength and range of motion, which means less force is applied to the knee. Although it was once thought that high-impact activities like running were bad for the knees, new research shows that this is not always the case. There is, however, a sweet spot for runners. A meta-analysis of orthopedic and sports physical therapy found that recreational runners were much less likely than competitive runners and sedentary people to develop knee osteoarthritis. If you run, do not do it on consecutive days but do it every other day because we do not recover as well as we age. It is also a perfect idea to vary your workout routines. For example, if you run three times a week, do something low-impact on the off days, such as bicycling, swimming, Pilates, or using an elliptical machine.
Increase muscle strength that supports your knees:
Strong thigh muscles, particularly the hamstrings, quadriceps, and abductors, improve range of motion, protect knee cartilage, and reduce stress on the knee. Make it a habit to do squats and lunges twice a week, ensuring your knees stay above your feet and do not extend in front of your toes. After the age of 50, avoid squatting below a 90-degree angle with your hips dropping below your knees because deep squats increase pressure on the knees. If you prefer to use weight machines, it is recommended to do the leg press, hamstring curl, knee extension, and outer-thigh abductor machines.
Choose the suitable footwear:
According to researchers wearing supportive, comfortable shoes promotes proper alignment of the healthy joints in your lower extremities as you move. Choose kicks that are appropriate for your gait and foot, whether you pronate or supinate, for example, appropriate for your activity. Whether you believe it or not, research suggests that foot postural abnormalities can contribute to knee osteoarthritis, which is why it is critical to wear shoes that help prevent inward or outward rolling of the feet during movement. If you are looking for new exercise shoes, it is recommended to get them professionally evaluated and fitted by someone at a high-quality running or sporting goods store. When you are not exercising, it is suggested to avoid high heels, which increase the load on your knees.
Wrapping it up:
These tips can help you keep your knees strong, healthy, happy, and injury-free. However, if you are involved in an accident or suffer trauma, seek medical attention, and follow through on any rehabilitation recommendations you receive. Depending on the severity of the injury, your doctor may advise physical therapy, in which you will be guided through individualized exercises to strengthen and heal. If you listen to your body and take the necessary precautions, you can find the right type of exercise to keep you happy and fit for life.