7 things you do every day that accelerate the breakdown of your knees (not running)

Nowadays, exercise has become a "compulsory course" for many people every day, and running is particularly popular among many sports. However, some people say that "running will hurt the knees". Is this really the case? Does running really hurt the knees?

Improper running posture or excessive load are most likely to damage the knee joint.

Incorrect running methods that exceed the load on the knee joint can easily cause "runner's knee", a chronic overstrain injury.

Whether ordinary people or athletes, they may encounter knee injuries during exercise, but "runner's knee" only exists when the knee is overused and is related to the individual's exercise conditions and physical condition.

Both sitting for a long time and high-intensity running can cause joint problems. The incidence rate is lowest among people who run leisurely. Therefore, moderate running is generally beneficial to joint health for ordinary people (non-athletes).

Unscientific exercise is an important cause of knee injuries. For example, if you do not warm up before running, it will have a huge impact on the meniscus and even cause a comminuted fracture of the patella.

Incorrect running posture, prolonged exercise time, excessive frequency, and different individual physical fitness are all factors that may cause knee joint injuries.

Therefore, incorrect running methods or excessive use of the knees can lead to knee injuries, but you cannot completely stop exercising.

Image source: pixabay

Action points:

❶ Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes before jogging, and run for 30 to 60 minutes a day. Don’t worry too much about the distance.

❷ Lean your body slightly forward, swing your arms naturally, and place your forefoot on the ground;

❸ Keep the speed “breathing and heartbeat slightly faster but still able to have a normal conversation”;

❹ Choose plastic ground, asphalt road, etc. as the venue; cement ground is not recommended.

These moves hurt your knees the most

1

Being sedentary

An international authoritative study once pointed out that the incidence of arthritis in fitness runners is 3.5%, while the incidence of arthritis in sedentary people is as high as 10.2%! Long-term sitting will gradually lose nutrition to the joint cartilage and "starve to death". Therefore, proper exercise can prolong the life of the knee. But the premise is to master scientific methods and avoid unnecessary injuries.

2

Climbing mountains and stairs

It is best for the elderly, overweight people and people with knee injuries to avoid climbing. If your knees feel uncomfortable during the climb, don't persist.

When climbing a hill (stairs), it is easy to hurt your knees if you have the wrong posture, as your knees will bear about 3 times the weight of your body.

When going downhill (stairs), the knees have to bear the impact of landing in addition to body weight, which increases wear and tear on the knees.

Therefore, it is not recommended to climb mountains or stairs as daily exercise.

Tip : If you have a knee injury, go up the stairs with your good leg first, and go down the stairs with your bad leg first.

Image source: pixabay

3

jump rope

The risks of skipping rope to the knee joints mainly depend on the venue.

Generally, the cement floor downstairs in residential areas cannot provide effective cushioning for the impact of jumping rope and landing, which can easily hurt the knees over a long period of time.

Rope skipping tips:

❶ Choose plastic floor or concrete floor with plastic mat;

❷ Keep your feet close together when jumping and avoid bending your knees too much;

❸ The jumping height is 2 to 4 cm, ensuring that the skipping rope just passes through the soles of your feet;

❹ Use your wrist strength to shake the rope, keeping your upper arms close to your torso.

4

Biking posture is not right

If you ride too hard or adopt some incorrect riding posture habits, it may also cause certain health risks to your knees.

Action points:

❶ Adjust the seat height to: when the foot pedal is at the lowest position, the knee joint is slightly bent about 170°;

❷ Keep your head and chest high while riding, and keep your knees and toes facing forward;

❸ Keep riding at a constant speed and do not increase the speed suddenly;

❹ Use your thighs to push the pedal with the front 1/3 of your foot.

5

I don't usually have the habit of exercising, but I suddenly go crazy

For people who do not have any exercise habits and sit for a long time every day, the leg muscles are usually insufficient. Suddenly walking for a long time can easily cause instability in the knee joint position.

Suggestion : When brisk walking, try to avoid taking big steps, do not stretch your front leg too far, avoid tensing your legs or knees when stepping forward, and let your body walk naturally, comfortably and moderately.

6

Sit cross-legged

When sitting cross-legged, the knee joint is in a flexed state. Under the action of gravity, it will bear the force of sinking, resulting in uneven force on the inside and outside. Over time, the knee joint is also prone to deformation.

Suggestion : When you can't help but sit cross-legged, bend only one leg at a time, try to be as natural and comfortable as possible, and don't push your foot down hard. This can reduce damage to your knees to a certain extent.

7

Long squat

When the squatting position is greater than 90 degrees, the compression of the medial knee joint will increase, causing wear on the medial side of the patella.

Recommendation : Try to limit the time you spend squatting in the toilet to less than 3 minutes.

Image source: pixabay

These symptoms in the knee joint may indicate joint damage

If you can't remember your knee at all, it first shows that it is healthy. When you start to pay attention to your knee, it may mean that there is something wrong with it.

There are two common types of problems with our knee joints:

1

pain

This is the most common situation. You suddenly feel pain in your knee. The pain can range from mild to severe. Another factor is its location. If you touch your left knee with your palm, hold the patella above the knee with the palm of your hand. After holding it, when your thumb naturally hangs down, you can touch a gap. This is the gap on the inside of the knee joint. If this position hurts, be careful about problems with the meniscus or osteoarthritis. If this position is higher or lower than the knee joint, it may be from the ligament. We judge this based on the location of the pain.

2

sound

Sometimes there are some sounds in the knee joint, a very crisp snap, not accompanied by pain, which may be some physiological snaps, such as synovial hyperplasia. If it is degenerative osteoarthritis or arthritis, the sound is very characteristic, just like when you hold a handful of snow in winter, the snowball makes a creaking sound. This feeling of holding snow is a very typical manifestation of osteoarthritis, called bone friction sound.

Sitting and raising your legs can protect your knees

First method:

Bend your legs to 90 degrees, with your calves and thighs basically vertical. Then slowly stretch your legs from 90 degrees to straight . Pause for 5 to 10 seconds. You should feel the muscles in the front of your thighs, especially the muscles on the inside of your thighs, exerting force and tensing up. Then slowly relax them to the bent knee position. This is one time.

We can repeat such a cycle 20 to 30 times, which counts as one set. We can do 2 to 3 sets a day.

Note : If you feel tired the next day after exercising, it means that the intensity of exercise is appropriate. If you feel relaxed after exercising, you may need to correct your movements or increase the strength and frequency.

Second method:

You can step on something under your feet. At this time, the angle of your knee flexion will be less than 90 degrees. Slowly straighten it to 0 degrees, hold for 5 to 10 seconds, and repeat the exercise.

Sitting leg raise is a very basic exercise suitable for both sick patients and healthy people , so everyone should develop this habit. Moreover, it has a wide range of application scenarios. You can do this exercise whether you are in the office or on a business trip.

Note: If your joints are currently in the inflammatory phase with redness, swelling, heat and pain , you should rest and not do any strength training, even if it is relatively mild. You should wait until the inflammation is relieved and the symptoms are alleviated or even disappear before starting strength training.

6 things you can do to extend the life of your knees

The knee joint should be used sparingly and protected well to extend its service life:

1

Weight control

Patients with knee arthritis due to being overweight account for a large proportion of the sick population. Losing weight can greatly reduce the burden on weight-bearing joints and reduce wear and tear.

2

Exercise in moderation

The healthiest exercise regimen for joints is 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day, at least 5 days a week.

Warm up before exercise, do some exercise and stretching. If you do strenuous exercise, warm up for at least 10 minutes.

When a person swims, the body is basically parallel to the water surface, and the knee joints are basically not weighted, so it is best for the knee joints. Freestyle and backstroke are more recommended for protecting the knee joints.

3

Keep your joints warm

Protect your knees from cold and moisture, and wear knee pads if necessary.

4

Calcium supplementation

This is especially true for women over 40. When osteoporosis occurs, joints become susceptible to disease.

5

Wear the right shoes

Whether you are walking or doing other exercises, you should choose a pair of suitable shoes. Sports shoes that are elastic, have slightly thick soles, and have wide and slightly thick heels are best for your joints.

6

Avoid continuous stress on joints

Try to reduce squatting. If you have to squat frequently for work, it is best to change to a low sitting position, such as sitting on a small bench. When sitting or standing for a long time, you should also change your posture frequently to prevent the knee joint from being fixed in one posture and straining.

Note : Do not exercise easily when your knee hurts. If you have knee injuries or pain, you should seek medical attention and receive standardized treatment in a timely manner. Consult a doctor and develop a suitable recovery exercise plan based on your own situation and condition.

Image source: pixabay

Knee pads tips

1. Improper running posture or excessive load are most likely to damage the knee joint.

2. The following actions are most harmful to the knees: sitting for a long time, skipping rope, climbing mountains and stairs with incorrect posture, riding a bicycle with incorrect posture, no regular exercise habits, sudden violent walking, sitting cross-legged, and squatting for a long time.

3. The presence of these symptoms in the knee joint may indicate joint damage: Pain: Pain in the space on the inside of the knee joint may indicate problems with the meniscus or osteoarthritis; Sound: Osteoarthritis and arthritis may cause bone friction sounds.

4. Seated leg raise is a basic exercise suitable for both sick patients and healthy people.

5. Extend the service life of the knees: control your weight, exercise regularly, keep your joints warm, supplement calcium, wear suitable shoes, and avoid applying continuous force to the joints.

Planning and production

Source: CCTV Life Circle

Review | Tang Qin, Chief Researcher, Science Popularization Department, Chinese Medical Association

Editor: Yang Yaping