Escape a Major Blowout and Fix Your Knees!

Every time you go to your gym, you get motivated with the goal of
doing all the exercises. Unfortunately, your good will may be
lessened when you feel a pain that can be troublesome at the level of
the joint.
Be smart and sensible in the practice of any physical activity
and it's not as simple as saying "I'm going to jump on the treadmill".
An active and healthy person will have no difficulty doing the
activities he likes. However, it differs from the one who feels
particular pains, especially regarding the bearing joints. The
question is what exercises can be done to make the most of the
situation without increasing pain or risk of injury?
Following a fracture, sprain, tearing of the ligament or cartilage,
knee pain may continue for several months to several years after the
trauma and possibly after surgery. How do you relieve the pain
when it occurs?

The Cause of This Pain

Your knees are supported by two large muscle groups. The first is
the quadriceps (quad), which is on the front of the thigh and is a
push muscle. The second is the hamstring muscle support. The
hamstring muscle extends to the back of the thigh and pulls the leg
back when running or walking.
Injuries or pain in the knee often occurs because the muscles
supporting the knee are too weak. So, if you want to remove the pain
in your knee, strengthen the muscles supporting it.

The Step Up

The first exercise to help you strengthen your leg muscles is called
Step up. Step-ups are great for strengthening both your hamstrings
and quads. They help increase the power and coordination in the
muscles of your legs while using the weight of the body as
resistance.
For this exercise, all you will need is a staircase. Stand in front
of the stairs and go up with your right foot. Repeat the movement
with your left foot. Continue this motion for 30 seconds with 20
seconds off. Do it 3 times for 90 seconds.

Partial Squats

Crouching is perfect for strengthening the leg muscles and
increasing the range of motion in the knee joints. It targets not only
your quads but also the glutes and hamstrings and the abdominal
muscles.
To perform squats, hold your back straight, feet apart to the
width of your shoulders and your toes pointing either straight or
slightly to the sides.

Isometric Quad Exercise

The quad isometric exercise focuses on strengthening the quad
muscle while in a static position. It is perfect for anyone who has
noticed an imbalance of strength in the muscles of their legs.
To perform the quad isometric exercise, sit on a chair with your
back straight and your feet flat. Raise your right leg until your foot
is flexed and is parallel to the ground. Contract your thigh muscle
and hold this position for 6 to 8 seconds then release. Repeat the
movement with the right leg 8 to 12 times, and then repeat with the
left.

Walk on the Spot

Walking on the spot might not seem like a good idea when you have
knee problems, but this exercise is amazing for strengthening leg
muscles and relieving knee joints. It also improves stability and
balance.
Stand with your feet on the floor and lift your legs up and down,
one at a time. Try doing this for about a minute, twice a day. This
exercise helps prevent your knee from being stiff, you can do it
anytime.

Short Bows

Short bows are exercises that help relieve the quad and strengthen it.
Lie on your back or sit down with your horizontal leg on a flat
surface like a bed. Pull your toes towards you while squeezing your
thigh muscles. Slowly lift your foot out of bed until your knee is
straight. Hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower.

Exercises to Avoid

Running, as opposed to walking, increases the weight of the body on
the weight-bearing joints by almost ten times. In the case of hip or
knee pain, it would be more appropriate to walk, or if you choose,
light jog. Make sure you have a good running technique and suitable
shoes. Other activities such as jumping rope, repeated impact
aerobic classes, or any activity or exercise that increases the support
load or the amount of impact on the joints must also be avoided.
This leaves a lot of activity choices for people with symptoms. Key
elements that you need to consider include cardiovascular activity
(for weight control and vascularization), muscle building (to relieve
pressure on the joints) and stretching (to maintain flexibility and
flexibility) range of motion). Proprioceptive work also helps prevent
falls by its effects on systems that manage posture and balance.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Good examples of cardiovascular activities for people with knee
pains include walking and swimming. Walking is a simple and easy
activity that can be practiced almost anytime. Also, working in the
water is very interesting when you want to reduce joint stress. Water
gymnastics has developed particularly in recent years and now
offers multiple options for working on many aspects of fitness.
Cycling is an option to consider with caution. It allows you to work
in resistance without impact, but the amplitude of movement is
limited at the level of the lower limbs. This means, among other
things, that you need a lot of stretching exercises to reduce the
inevitable contractures of the muscles around the knee. Tension in
the quadriceps is common and will result in localized pain in the
front of the knee as strains in the psoas muscle reverberate in the
lower back. This would be an individual choice. Respect your pace,
go step by step, pay attention to the warning signs of pain and adjust
accordingly.
There is a tendency to think that lifting weights is bad for
conditions such as this. Yet studies show that it is rather the
opposite. By strengthening the muscles around the joints, the
bodybuilding allows to transfer to the muscles a part of the load
imposed on the joints. When you strengthen the active system
(muscle) that supports the passive system (bone), you relieve the
articulation of certain symptoms. In a recent study, seniors with
moderate knee osteoarthritis who went through a 16-week resistance
workout program reported on average a 43% decrease in pain,
increased feeling of strength, decreased disability as well as a
decrease in clinical signs and symptoms of their disease. Muscle
training also reduces the risk of falls, which is a major risk factor for
people with knee injuries. Another recent study showed a 40%
reduction in falls in people 80 years and older following specific
training.

Flexibility and Range of Motion

There are a number of specific exercises that you can do to increase
your flexibility and maintain the range of functional movement.
Proprioceptive exercises without loads allow the joints to lubricate
and help the healing process. The advantage of these exercises is
that you can run them quietly in the comfort of your home. Begin by
getting in the habit of doing them 2 to 3 times a week and gradually
increase until you get into the habit of doing them every day.
Soft gymnastics like yoga, table gymnastics and pilates are also
worth considering. Certain positions can be sometimes restrictive, so
you must still listen to your body and be aware of its capabilities. It
is the overall approach of these disciplines that is particularly
interesting as you work at the same time with elements such as
reinforcement, balance, coordination and flexibility.
Knee Exercises
For strengthening, choose mostly closed-chain movements (when
the foot is the fixed point) such as squat or deadlift. Again, you can
bet on one-sided exercises and do not be afraid to go into deep knee
flexion. The knee joint is made to
flex and, in fact, the lower you get in an exercise and the more you
stimulate the reflex activity associated with the stretching of the
muscle fibers, in addition to preserving the amplitudes of functional
movements. Everything is a matter of control and support. Be sure
to control movement while keeping the weight of the body on the
heel of the foot (not on the toes), descending in a straight line (not
leaning forward) and stopping the motion before compensating
(usually with the back). You will notice a decrease in knee
discomfort as soon as you apply to perform the movement as
described. You can start without weight and increase the load
gradually as you improve your performance.
Also remember that some active treatments (such as
kinesitherapy massage) can be combined with your physical activity
as needed. People tend to require the services of a therapist only
when they are in pain and are unaware that they are also effective in
optimizing physical fitness and joint function. If necessary, training
on lifting or handling techniques at work may also be
complementary or even necessary.
To derive the maximum benefit, a combination of these
different activities mentioned would be the ideal tactic to work the
condition as a whole and from various angles. No matter what you
choose to do, the important thing is to take control of your condition
and take action by establishing an appropriate action plan.