“Bad knees” seem to be one of the most common issues that people have, and most of the time, people buy a knee brace and consider it an inconvenience that they’ll just have to deal with for the rest of their life. Sometimes the knee pain comes and goes or only bothers you when you squat a lot or go hiking. Depending on the severity, it’s easy enough to ignore the problem and/or there are a ton of ways you can modify workouts to accommodate people with bad knees.
That being said, your knee pain can come from a lot of different issues–sometimes it’s a muscle imbalance, other times it might be a strained ligament, etc., and other than traumatic injuries, it’s often caused by putting stress on the knee in improper movement/form (for example, repeatedly landing on your foot with incorrect form while running).
Here’s the thing: You can do something about that knee pain!
- Hip mobility: Improving your hip mobility won’t only help with knee problems, it’ll help with pretty much anything that’s physical, including doing normal activities in your day-to-day life (like tying your shoes). Also, good hip mobility means that you have access to way more strength and power when it comes to sports and exercises. On the other hand, tight hips are a common cause of lower back and knee pain. So look up some hip mobility stretches, and start adding them to your daily routine.
- Quad strength: Your knees are connected to, stabilized by, and supported by a network of muscles and ligaments. If any of these parts are weak or not working as they should, they can cause knee issues. Your quadriceps are the main support muscles for the knees, so you can see why having stronger quads will provide more support and happier knees. Don’t forget about the hamstrings and glutes, though!
- Do knee mobility exercises and use your knees: The more your knees get used to different movements, the more prepared they will be when you inevitably use them. Exercises like knee circles, for example, will help loosen up your knees and get them used to moving in different directions. Knee circles are also a great warm-up stretch to do before doing physical activities. Also, studies have shown that as far as knee injuries go, inactivity is actually more damaging.
Working on these 3 things will set you up for a solid foundation to good knee health. In addition to that, make sure to get the right shoes for the right activity. If you’re running, get good quality running shoes. If your knees are being overused which usually leads to tendonitis, take a break. Do low impact work.
Many of us ask a lot of our bodies. Sometimes we have to make an extra effort to make sure that we can maintain a healthy body free of injuries, which, at the end of the day, is priceless.