Maintaining functional, healthy knees is imperative for ensuring your long-term well-being. When your knees start to hurt, accomplishing basic activities like walking or climbing stairs becomes difficult to impossible to do. For those who enjoy working out – knee pain can prevent you from performing any type of physical activity, whether it’s running or lifting weights.
Prevent Knee Pain
Fortunately, you can prevent knee pain from occurring by adhering to the following recommendations provided by our Atlanta orthopedic doctors.
Maintain Ideal Body Weight
Walking on a flat, hard surface like pavement adds one-and-a-half times your body weight to your knees. This means that if you weight close to 150 pounds, your knees are forced to manage approximately 225 pounds with each step. When you walk uphill or upstairs, this force increases exponentially.
For those who are overweight or obese, losing weight should be one of the top priorities considering the potential long-term health effects. To do this, consider reducing the amount you consume during each meal, try to select healthier options like organic vegetables, and exercise on a regular basis.
If you are more than 50 pounds overweight, the type of exercise you perform is critical. Consider cycling, elliptical training, or water-based activities that are excellent for burning calories without exposing your knees to additional pressure.
Cross Train
It’s important to give your knees a break from stress every now and then. Instead of constantly performing high-impact exercises, consider swapping your running days with alternative workouts like machine lifting. In an ideal week, you will want to alternate every other day between cardio exercise and weight lifting.
By maintaining an exercise routine that sees you cross train, you are able to prevent particular muscles from overdeveloping at the expense of others. When muscle imbalances occur, your knees become vulnerable to dysfunction and other potential conditions.
Choose Appropriate Footwear
The type of footwear you use makes a significant difference in how your body functions. Make sure that you are wearing shoes that match you gait. Try to replace them every 500 miles or so or before they wear out. Also, choose particular footwear that matches the type of activity you perform. For instance, basketball shoes do not provide the same type of cushion that running shoes do. You may need to purchase multiple shoes to match the types of activities you engage in to prevent knee pain.
Contact AICA Orthopedics For More Information and Support
If you are interested in learning how you can lose weight while avoiding knee pain, contact our office right away to speak with one of our health specialists. Just dial (404) 855-2141 to speak with one of our friendly staff members about scheduling an appointment.
