Knee pain and knee injuries are increasingly common in our society. Certainly, weightlifting and other fitness activities can put your knees at risk. So is there anything that can be done to avoid developing an injury to your knee?Here’s what you should keep in mind, especially in the weight room.
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Maintain Your Ideal Body Weight
The knee sees up to 4 pounds of pressure for every one pound of weight, so if you’re carrying around an extra 50 pounds of weight, that is an additional 200 pounds of pressure on your knees! Lose the extra pounds and your knees will start to feel better.
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Give Your Body Proper Nutrition
The same things that keep our bodies healthy keep our knees healthy. A Mediterranean/anti-inflammatory diet is good for the knees. Focus on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and lean proteins, as well as drinking lots of water.
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Keep Quads and Hamstrings Strong
The stronger the muscles around your knees are, the more they can take pressure off the knee joint. Many weightlifters devote too much time to their upper bodies and not enough to the leg muscles that we walk around on all day.
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Warm Up Before Lifting Heavy
A good warmup is critical to preventing injuries and should always be part of your routine. Warming up should be 5-10 minutes on an elliptical trainer, treadmill or stationary bike followed by a few warmup sets with light weights. Jumping right into lifting heavy weights is risky and can lead to an injury.
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Limit Your Inclines
With cardiovascular exercises, the more inclination there is, the more stress there is on the knee. A stairmaster puts a lot more stress on a knee than an elliptical trainer without incline. Know your limits and increase your speed instead of your incline.
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Listen To Your Body
While it is good to push yourself with exercise, you never want to put yourself in a situation where you end up hurting your knees. Increasing weight, repetitions or time of training sessions should happen in small increments. While it is often normal to feel sore after a workout, it is not normal to experience pain during a workout. If any pain, swelling or other signs of injury occur, see a knee doctor as soon as possible.
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Use Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Cautiously
Anti-inflammatory drugs, both over-the-counter and prescription, may help relieve pain temporarily, but they can have significant side effects, so use cautiously under a physician’s recommendation.
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Get a Physical Evaluation
If you injure your knees while exercising, first get a proper evaluation by a physician and then consider safer treatment alternatives to over-the-counter pain meds. Topical pain relievers can be very effective without subjecting your body to the side effects of drugs. Knee compression sleeves also can provide your knee with the support it needs so you can continue to be active. Lastly, nutritional supplements (glucosamine sulfate, turmeric, and some others) may also be helpful to get you back to your old self.
Knee pain and knee injuries are increasingly common in our society. Certainly, weightlifting and other fitness activities can put your knees at risk. So is there anything that can be done to avoid developing an injury to your knee?
Here’s what you should keep in mind, especially in the weight room.
Maintain Your Ideal Body Weight
The knee sees up to 4 pounds of pressure for every one pound of weight, so if you’re carrying around an extra 50 pounds of weight, that is an additional 200 pounds of pressure on your knees! Lose the extra pounds and your knees will start to feel better.
Give Your Body Proper Nutrition
The same things that keep our bodies healthy keep our knees healthy. A Mediterranean/anti-inflammatory diet is good for the knees. Focus on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and lean proteins, as well as drinking lots of water.
Keep Quads and Hamstrings Strong
The stronger the muscles around your knees are, the more they can take pressure off the knee joint. Many weightlifters devote too much time to their upper bodies and not enough to the leg muscles that we walk around on all day.
Warm Up Before Lifting Heavy
A good warmup is critical to preventing injuries and should always be part of your routine. Warming up should be 5-10 minutes on an elliptical trainer, treadmill or stationary bike followed by a few warmup sets with light weights. Jumping right into lifting heavy weights is risky and can lead to an injury.
Limit Your Inclines
With cardiovascular exercises, the more inclination there is, the more stress there is on the knee. A stairmaster puts a lot more stress on a knee than an elliptical trainer without incline. Know your limits and increase your speed instead of your incline.
Listen To Your Body
While it is good to push yourself with exercise, you never want to put yourself in a situation where you end up hurting your knees. Increasing weight, repetitions or time of training sessions should happen in small increments. While it is often normal to feel sore after a workout, it is not normal to experience pain during a workout. If any pain, swelling or other signs of injury occur, see a knee doctor as soon as possible.
Use Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Cautiously
Anti-inflammatory drugs, both over-the-counter and prescription, may help relieve pain temporarily, but they can have significant side effects, so use cautiously under a physician’s recommendation.
Get a Physical Evaluation
If you injure your knees while exercising, first get a proper evaluation by a physician and then consider safer treatment alternatives to over-the-counter pain meds. Topical pain relievers can be very effective without subjecting your body to the side effects of drugs. Knee compression sleeves also can provide your knee with the support it needs so you can continue to be active. Lastly, nutritional supplements (glucosamine sulfate, turmeric, and some others) may also be helpful to get you back to your old self.
