Cardio obsessed? Here’s how to help save your knees!
Many of us today want to slim down and tone up, and what’s the go-to magical exercise? Cardio. Lots and lots of cardio. For most of us, this cardio is in the form of running or jogging, which is great for the lungs and cardiovascular system and overall body function. But the downside to all these benefits, aside from feeling like your lungs are on fire, is that it is really hard on your lower joints. Specifically hips, knees, and ankles. In high school, I was an avid jogger, not a runner. I just jogged to keep in somewhat good shape. Long story short, I started having knee pain, and no amount of ice and resting did the trick. I visited a knee doctor who did a quick five-minute analysis, playing with my knee cap and asking me questions. Turns out, I had the most common kind of knee pain and injury. This knee pain can come from a variety of exercises including walking or biking, and mainly is one result of overworking the knee. Fortunately, the knee doctor gave me a few really easy knee strengthening exercises to do a few times a day to relieve the pain. The exercises are meant to strengthen the muscles surrounding the kneecap. Strengthening the surrounding muscles helps the kneecap move properly and not cause pain. These exercises are magic, and I recommend them to all of my friends, because who enjoys knee pain? No one.
How to do the moves:
1. The Quad Set
Sit down with one leg straight and one leg bent. With the straight leg, flex your toes back, and flex your quad muscles and tighten the muscles around your knee cap, almost as if you are pushing the back of your knee and kneecap toward the ground. Once your muscles are flexed, hold the contraction for around 10 seconds and then relax. Do this ten times per leg. This will strengthen the muscles in your quads and the muscles surrounding your kneecap.
2. Short Arc Quad
This exercise is like the first one, only your knee is elevated and sitting in a bent position. You can use a foam roller or a rolled up bath mat, and place this under the bend of your knee. Then pull your foot back in a flexed position, tighten your quads, and lift your leg off the ground. Hold your leg in the air for a few seconds then place back down. Repeat ten times on each leg.
3. Raised Quad Set
This one is similar to the first exercise. Flex the toes and foot back on your straight leg and contract your quad muscles. Only this time, instead of pressing the back of your knee to the ground, keep your leg muscles contracted and raise your entire leg one foot off the ground. Hold in the air for a few seconds and then place back on the ground. This exercise not only strengthens your quad muscles but also works your hip flexor muscles as well. Repeat this ten times on each leg.
4. Clam Shell
This exercise is very easy, all you need to do is lay on your side with your legs bent and on top of one another. Simply lift the top leg up and away from the leg on the ground, hold for a few seconds, then place back down. Repeat this ten times on each leg. This exercise works the muscles on the outside area of the knee and outer thigh, which helps keep the kneecap in place and on track.
Luckily for us, there are other forms of cardio that have less impact on our joints, including swimming, biking, elliptical machines, walking, and weight lifting. But for those of us who can’t stop being the cardio bunnies that we are, these exercises are sure to help avoid some unnecessary pain. I found a youtube channel of a woman who is a licensed physical therapist and pilates instructor who clearly demonstrates the four moves that can help you avoid knee pain. The link to the video is below! Or you can search on YouTube for “Knee Pain Exercises- Physical Therapy for Knee Pain” under the Jessica Valant Pilates channel.
Images courtesy of Jessica Valant Pilates
Thumbnail image courtesy of Knee Pain Guide