In case you had not noticed, simple everyday movements such as getting out of bed, standing up from a chair, and climbing or descending a set of stairs are heavily dependent on our pair of knees.
Besides being the largest joint in the human body, the knees are unique in that the motion involved is very complex, The knee has three compartments, any of which can cause pain with wear and tear. With the passage of time, a certain amount of wear and tear on your joints is inevitable. But it doesn’t have to affect the way your knees feel, function, or move, keep reading to find out how Move 2 Improve can help save your knees!
Knees are weight-bearing joints and If they are not up for their job, the transference of load from ankles upwards will be heavily disrupted with consequences directly manifested in them or reflected somewhere else higher up in the kinetic chain including your lower back.
Pain in the front of the knee is one of the increasingly common problems expressed by individuals-from average to athletes. To avoid pain we need to have a good understanding of the function of this important joint as well as learning ways to maintain and improve its function.
Some fun facts:
1. The knee is the largest synovial joint of the body.
2. The thickest layering of cartilage in the body can be found on the back surface of the kneecap. Its purpose is to protect it from the incredible pressure applied by the muscle contractions during each knee flexion.
Simply walking up or downstairs can place as much as 600 pounds of pressure on the patella. It’s then easy to picture the excessive pressure every extra pound of body weight will impose on the knees.
How well are you acquainted with your knees?
If you are seated go ahead and touch them right now!
Can you feel their different bits and pieces? It’s because the bony parts of the knees are very superficial and accessible. Remember the knee-jerk reflex that all of us have experienced at one point in a general medical examination? It’s done simply by tapping the area below the patella (kneecap) to stimulate its tendon for a deep reflex.
The knee is a hinge joint capable of flexion, extension, and also sideways rotation when you are seated. Sports that require a sudden stop, turn, or deceleration can place a huge demand on knees. That’s why athletes in the fields of football, basketball, hockey, and skiing can be prone to knee injuries such as ligament tears.
Here are our top 10 ways to care for your knee:
1. Keep moving and maintain strength in all the leg muscles.
2. Preserve and enhance the stability of the knees by doing pilates, pilates is one of the safest ways to optimize their suppleness, hydration, and range of motion. This will translate into less injuries and more joy doing sports/activities you like.
3. Manage your weight- Remember what unnecessary pressure your knees endure with every extra pound.
4. Ensure health and readiness of your knees before taking up sports that see you twisting or stopping suddenly.
5. Lengthen the leg muscles with dynamic stretches – Pilates can assist you with this!
6. Hydrate and nourish your body well generally. A lack of minerals and other nutrients can compromise joint function.
7. Break Away From Weight Machines -Weight machines, such as the leg press and leg extension, seem like an easy and safe way for you to perform leg workouts. But overly relying on these machines limits your movement patterns and can cause you knee pain over time. They restrict specific muscles in your body from helping you lift, which can lead to knee inflammation and pain.
8. Perfect your posture – have a look at this workout where our qualified Pilates instructor works on getting perfect alignment that will really assist you with your posture.
9. Choose the right shoes – the right shoes will go a long way in ensuring that you have good support for your back and knees.
10. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet – the more anti-inflammatory your foods are the less likely you are to ever experience pain and swelling throughout your body, check out one of our many healthy recipes here
At Move 2 Improve we want to ensure that you have a holistic fitness journey and protecting yourself is part of that.
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