Asian Games are coming soon, take care of your knees, save this "white list" of knee joint exercises

Hangzhou Asian Games is about to be held

If you love sports

I'm afraid I can't hold back my excitement.

but

Many people have some concerns

I really like sports.

Knee pain is real.

How to choose?

The fact is————

Correct exercise will not hurt your knees

Incorrect exercise will increase the wear and tear of the knee joint

The knee joint is the largest weight-bearing joint in the human body.

When lying down, the weight on the knee is almost zero;

When standing and walking, the weight on the knees is 1 to 2 times the body weight;

3 to 4 times your body weight when walking up or down a slope or stairs;

When running, it is 4 times body weight;

8 times body weight when squatting and kneeling

That is, the more the knee bends, the greater the pressure

Body weight and different forms of exercise are important factors in determining the load on the knee joint.

Therefore, it is very important to control your weight and adopt appropriate exercise methods and protective measures according to different forms of exercise.

Having said so much

Are there any exercises that are friendly to the knee joints?

Take a look at this sports "white list"

Whitelist 1 - Swimming

Swimming causes minimal damage to the knee joints

1. When swimming, the knees can use the buoyancy in the water environment to reduce the pain during movement on the ground.

2. The buoyancy of water reduces the load on joints. Basically, each joint is not weight-bearing. The knee joints, ankle joints, etc. do not need to exert force continuously like when running or walking, so that each joint can relax and rest.

3. There are almost no rapid starting or stopping movements in swimming, so it can avoid potential knee injuries in other sports and keep the knee joints active but not excessively.

4. When swimming, water will produce a kind of mechanical stress on the human body joints, which will play a good massage role and relax the stiff joints;

5. The load intensity of swimming is relatively low, which can enhance muscle strength, promote cardiovascular function, and improve the flexibility and agility of joints and ligaments.

But please note that when kicking your legs in breaststroke, you need to evert your knees and tibias. This is an anti-joint action, which will put a load on the medial collateral ligament and meniscus of the knee joint.

Long-distance breaststroke, intense breaststroke, and single-concentrated breaststroke are all harmful to the knees.

Whitelist 2 - Cycling

Cycling is an often overlooked sport that is less harmful to the knee joints. It can train muscle strength without hurting the knees.

According to the weight-bearing data on the pressure on the knees from cycling and walking, normal walking is the same as cycling, and the pressure on the knees is 0.5-1 times the body weight.

When riding, the weight of the upper body is borne by the seat, which greatly reduces the pressure of body weight on the knees and puts less load on the knee joints, thereby reducing knee wear and the chance of injury.

At the same time, we also need to pay attention that incorrect riding methods can also cause damage to the knees, such as:

Wrong pedaling method, knees turned outward or inward when riding, toes not pointing straight ahead; riding too frequently, high intensity riding in a short period of time; inappropriate seat height, too high or too low, will all put more pressure on the knee joints, and riding like this for a long time will greatly wear out the joint cartilage.

Whitelist 3 - Tai Chi

Tai Chi has been shown to be beneficial in improving pain, stiffness, and physical function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. It can also improve body stability and prevent falls and reduce fall-related injuries.

Tai Chi can be used as a long-term exercise program because it is low-impact and gentle, and is generally well tolerated by people with osteoarthritis. However, if you experience symptoms of pinching, popping, or locking when moving your knee, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Whitelist 4 - Jogging

The June 2017 issue of the internationally authoritative joint journal "Journal of Orthopedics and Sports Physiotherapy" pointed out that the incidence of arthritis among fitness runners is 3.5%, while the incidence of arthritis among sedentary people is 10.2%. Compared with the sedentary population, heavy exercisers have stronger and healthier knee cartilage, and arthritis is caused by the loss and decline of cartilage. In other words, the proportion of exercisers suffering from arthritis will be reduced.

If you master the correct running posture, warm up properly, and run within your ability, you will not injure your knees. Moreover, persistent running is also beneficial for increasing bone density.

There are a few things to keep in mind when exercising:

1. Wear appropriate sports equipment such as sports shoes and pants to reduce sports injuries caused by inappropriate equipment

2. Warm up for 10-15 minutes before exercise to increase the speed and strength of muscle contraction, improve muscle coordination, and effectively avoid muscle strain.

3. Stretch after exercise to eliminate muscle fatigue, restore physical fitness, improve exercise effects, and prevent knee cartilage damage.

4. Increasing strength training of the muscles around the knee joint can help improve the stability of the knee joint, reduce the pressure on the knee joint, and play a positive role in relieving the pain caused by knee instability.

5. When the knee joint function is poor, you can choose appropriate protective gear to assist

6. If you experience new joint popping, locking or weakness, abdominal or chest pain, or shortness of breath or discomfort during exercise, stop and rest immediately. If the symptoms persist, seek medical attention promptly.

Let's join the sports team

Celebrate the Asian Games!

Expert introduction

Cheng Qian, Deputy Director of Orthopedics Administration

Associate chief physician, doctor of medicine, associate professor, master's supervisor. He went to Johanna Etienne Hospital in Germany for exchange and study, and studied joint replacement and arthroscopic techniques under the guidance of Professor Jerosch, chairman of the German Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Conference, chairman of the Southern German Orthopedic Society, and a famous sports medicine and joint surgery expert. He is currently a Shanghai science and technology expert, deputy director of the Shanghai Sports Medicine Youth Committee of the Chinese Medical Association, standing member of the Sports Medicine Committee of the Shanghai Society of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, young member of the Orthopedic Injury Committee of the Shanghai Society of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, member of the Bone and Joint Branch of the China Geriatric Health Care Association, member of the Science Popularization and Health Education Working Committee of the China Medical Education Association, science popularization expert of the Changning District Health Commission, member of the Joint Surgery Group of the Orthopedic Innovation and Transformation Professional Committee of the Chinese Research Hospital Association, member of the Bone and Cartilage Regeneration and Repair Professional Committee, editorial board member of the "Chinese Journal of Osteoporosis", special reviewer of the "Arthroplasty" magazine of the Asian Artificial Joint Society, reviewer of the SCI magazine "International Journal of Molecular Medicine", and reviewer of the "Journal of Practical Medicine" and "Journal of Chinese Tissue Engineering Research". He has written 4 orthopedic monographs and obtained 9 national patents. He excels in minimally invasive treatment of bone and joint diseases, joint replacement and arthroscopic techniques for the hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle. He is skilled in performing computer-navigated robot-assisted minimally invasive unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis replacement, especially in the arthroscopic treatment of rotator cuff injuries, frozen shoulder, and knee meniscus and ligament injuries.