You never quite realise how much you need your knees until they start giving you problems. Knee pain can strike at any time, particularly during or after exercise or injury. Other factors such as excess weight, a lack of exercise and poor posture can also contribute to knee pain and other problems.
Fortunately, there is no need to live with knee pain and there are steps that you can take to prevent knee problems from occurring in the first place.
5 Tips for Knee Pain Reduction
Below are 5 basic tips that you can apply to reduce and prevent knee pain.
- Add stretching to your daily routine
When your joints are stiff, your knees don’t absorb shock in the way that they should. When you exercise, always add a warm up session to the mix. For example, walking for 5 minutes before you dive into your usual exercises will get the blood flowing and warm up the joints. Many people only stretch after exercising but stretching before your routine can also make a massive difference. Hip rotations, knee lifts and arm circles can all realign your body and posture before your workout.
- Build more muscle
Your knees rely on several other muscles to do their job, including the calves, quads, thighs and hamstrings. By incorporating exercises that work to strengthen these areas, you will automatically give your knees the power they need to support your body. There are so many different exercises that you can work into your exercise routine that will work your knees as well as all the supporting muscles. If you need some guidance, you can speak to a specialist such as Western Orthopaedics in Penrith for exercise advice and ideas.
- Add in interval exercises
While you do want to strengthen your joints, you don’t want to put them under constant stress, which is why you should incorporate both low and high-impact exercises into your routine. Going from activities such as tennis or running to walking or swimming will give your joints the best of both worlds.
- Avoid inflammatory foods
What you put into your body also makes a difference to the health of your joints. Foods such as cabbage and broccoli are packed with anti-inflammation properties and will prevent your cartilage from getting damaged as quickly as it could. Foods that contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids can also reduce the inflammation that leads to knee pain. Some other great anti-inflammatory food suggestions include garlic, celery, walnuts, avocados, onions, sweet potatoes and flax seeds. There is a wealth of information available online that will help you develop an anti-inflammatory eating plan.
- Find the right supplements
To give your knees an extra boost, add supplements that contain calcium and collagen to your diet. These supplements will give your knees and cartilage a better chance of staying strong and healthy all year round. If you are unsure about what supplements to take, it would be good to speak with a specialist.