Knees (Cont.)

TEAM TGA

Knees (Cont.)

PART 2: Here’s Some GREAT WORKOUTS that Will Protect Your Knees

Okay… so you want to workout, but you also really want to protect your knees. They are the biggest joints in your body and when standing still they bear 80% of your body weight. Years of bending and lifting can cause damage by the time you reach 50, so if you’re going to exercise, you have to be conscious about protecting them. Online research will give you great ideas as well as suggestions from your doctor.

First off, doing some good stretching first can really help a lot. Stretching the tissue and muscles around your knees is great for your range of motion. Then warming up like jogging in place for a few minutes really helps to loosen your muscles. But when you begin to exercise, it’s good to mix up your activities during the week. Doing several different exercises is not only good for your body, but equally important for your mind.

Let’s start with lunges. They’re great for strengthening your quads and butt as it really helps to support your knees. Doing some core strengthening is also good for you knees, hips, and the lower part of your body (which includes abdominal and lower back exercises.) And if done safely, walking or light running can strengthen your body while keeping the knee joints safe.

Now biking is a terrific low-impact exercise that will strengthen your legs and knees. It’s actually easy on the knees while giving you an excellent aerobic workout. And if the weather is bad, a stationery-bike inside will do the trick. Then there’s an elliptical machine that’s truly a great aerobic workout while remaining really easy on the knees and great for muscular endurance.

Something else you really want to consider is keeping your weight in check. Did you know that gaining just 5 pounds can add an extra 25 to 40 lbs through your knee joint? Which is yet another reason you need to stay active as it really lightens stress on those important joints of yours.

Do a little online research and guaranteed you’ll find the safe and effective exercise that’s right for you!