The knee can be said to be the human body’s spring, cushion, as long as standing, will certainly use it, but many people in the young ignore the importance of the knee, and wantonly challenge their physical limits, repeatedly injured without knowing. Today knee pain is no longer a “symptom” unique to the elderly.
The pressure on the knee is far greater than we can imagine, according to statistics.
1. when lying down, the weight on the knee is almost zero.
2. the weight on the knee when standing up and walking is 1 to 2 times the weight.
3, going up and down a slope or up and down a ladder the weight of the knee is 3 to 4 times the weight.
4, the weight-bearing of the knee when running is 4 times the body weight.
5, playing ball and on the blue knee weight-bearing is 6 times the body weight.
6, squatting and kneeling knee weight is 8 times the body weight.
Imagine: a person weighing 60 kilograms, each section of the ladder, the knee should bear 240 kilograms, if it is squatting and kneeling, to 480 kilograms; a person weighing 80 kilograms, each frame of the ladder, the knee should bear 320 kilograms, if it is squatting and kneeling, to as much as 640 kilograms. The more weight the knee joint bears, the greater the chance of joint cartilage wear and tear. Tendons are also prone to injury and the knee joint degenerates more quickly.
Modern people have more and more tendon pain and knee pain, many are caused by the imbalance of movement. Some people usually do not move much or have degenerative arthritis, muscles and knees are very fragile, too much exercise at once, such as climbing for too long, it is easy to cause back and knee pain. If you continue to use improperly, coupled with insufficient rest, you will slowly accumulate some sports injuries and cause various knee problems.
How to maintain the knee joint? What movements hurt the knees the most? What kind of exercise is better? If the knee is already in discomfort or has degenerative arthritis, how should I exercise?
If you want to reduce the burden on your knees, you should grasp the following principles.
1. Reduce weight
Maintain a standard weight as much as possible. Obesity is the enemy of the knee joint, to prevent knee pain, we must first lift the body weight. Do not think that the increase of 3 kg is nothing, the appearance is not visible, in fact, every step will increase 6 kg, up and down the stairs is an increase of 12 kg. Continued obesity puts even more pressure on the knees, which is why many fat people have bad knees. In addition, if your knees are already uncomfortable, carry and lift as few heavy objects as possible to reduce the overall weight.
In addition, intense rushing when young, joints had been injured by car accidents or sports, may be the result of joint degeneration in middle age. The American basketball king Michael Jordan earned all the glory and wealth during his playing seasons, but the side benefit was that degenerative arthritis reported early at age 40. The degenerative arthritis of freight or moving workers, etc., is a long-term external force aggravated the whole body joint load.
2, do less long-term squatting and kneeling action
Zhong Pei Zhen suggested housewives, try not to squat to do housework or kneel to wipe the floor, as for many people’s favorite taijiquan, Jane Wenren is recommended that older or knee to uncomfortable people, do not force themselves to squat too low, standing to play high taijiquan is good.
3, more training of the muscles around the knee joint
Like the quadriceps on the front side of the thigh, the biceps on the back side of the thigh, enhance these muscle groups, can increase the stability of the knee and slow down the wear and tear of the joint. Usually you can do more leg lifts, or indoor cycling, can be trained to these muscles.
4, exercise in discomfort, to stop immediately, do not force
Was Stanford University School of Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health Professor of Finlay B Pfaffenberg in the book “Harvard experience C exercise and health,” pointed out that pain is actually the best warning signs, telling us to rest, slow down or change the exercise program.
5, to have enough rest
Professor Paffenberger also reminded that enough rest is also important to protect the knee joint, because tired muscles can not make the knee stable.
6. Know your limits and do your best
The joint should be used sparingly, don’t torture it or try to train it, especially at an older age. Because sports injuries are usually more than the ability to load caused by the injury, for example: 40-year-old people can no longer use themselves as 20 years old, because the body’s functions are slowly degenerating, the result of reluctance is very easy to be injured.
7, step by step, slowly increase the time and volume
For example, if you want to start walking exercise, you can start with 10 minutes a day, and then slowly increase 5 minutes, 10 minutes …, until 30 minutes, which is the most comfortable and safe way to get used to. Zhong Pei Zhen observed that many modern people, usually no exercise, follow the family and friends to go hiking on weekends, the result is back to sore legs, knee pain, is the lack of gradual results, of course, very easy to get injured.
8. Exercise prescriptions that do not hurt the knee
Walking, indoor cycling, swimming and water sports in alternating combinations, is the best exercise prescription to protect the knee, Professor Pfaffenberg recommends.
Compared to jogging, walking puts less pressure on the knees. Swimming and water sports do not put any burden on the knee joints because of the resistance of water.
As for indoor cycling, it can train muscle strength without hurting the knees. Because it can not only be very intense, the impact on the joints is also less. But still need to pay attention to adjust the height, sit down and step forward when the pedal version, the toes can touch the ground as appropriate to avoid knee activity angle is too large, but wear the knee.
9, degenerative joints of people should not move?
There is a growing body of research that shows that exercise increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients in joint tissue and promotes the regeneration of new tissue. Regular exercise can reduce weight, reduce the load on the joints, which in turn reduces wear and tear on the joints and reduces the occurrence of degenerative arthritis. However, people with existing degenerative arthritis should add gentle muscle training to strengthen their muscles and protect their joints before engaging in walking or other activities.
Patients with degenerative arthritis should walk if they can, but do so gradually. For example, walk for 10 minutes and rest for 5 minutes, do not force yourself. If you can still climb, it is better to walk up a slope than a staircase. If going downhill or down the stairs is harder than going up the hill, try to go downhill by car.
10.Should I use knee pads?
If needed, people generally wear knee pads to protect their knees when they are engaged in intense or prolonged exercise. The stronger the knee brace, the better the protection and support, but the greater the range of motion it affects, and the longer it is used, the less chance of exercising your muscles.
Different forms of knee pads also have different functions. Knee pads with a straight wrap have a warm, supportive effect, but are more compressive on the patella, the bone in front of the knee. Knee pads with a cut-out design in front allow the knee to be exposed, with less pressure on the kneecap, and are suitable for people who often do squatting and standing movements and whose knees are often bent. There is also a knee brace with reinforcement strips on both sides, which protects the left and right sides of the knee.
In addition, knee pads do not need to be used during the entire exercise process, but rather intermittently. For example, don’t wear a knee brace for the first 30 minutes of climbing, and take it off every 30 minutes to rest for a few minutes after wearing it. Or when the knee is uncomfortable to put on, when the condition is good to take off, do not always rely on knee pads to have the opportunity to train muscles.
11. Type of shoes to wear
As for the shoes on the soles of the feet, they should also be adapted to the situation and the place. For example, when walking, you should wear sneakers or jogging shoes, the bottom of jogging shoes can be too soft, it is best to have a boat bottom arc, so that the foot can smoothly complete a circular movement. When climbing, you should choose shoes with strong grip and thick soles. Play ball to pay attention to whether the shoes have enough flexibility, grip is stable enough. In this way, it can reduce the impact and pressure on the knee.