We all know that the knee is a more complex joint which remains engaged in more daily functions than we could imagine. Knee pain can be a big obstacle, as more aggressive physical lifestyles can be prevented by this type of discomfort. In order to strengthen your muscles to support the knee joint, you should perform gentle stretching. You first need to stretch your heel, calf, quadriceps, and hamstrings. Then, you have to work up to half squats, calf raises, and so on. If you are someone who needs to undergo orthopaedic recovery, then keep in mind that active exercise is not for you. Performing low-impact exercises can give you motion benefits. In this article, we have given several low-impact exercises for knee pain relief. Once you understand the benefits of these exercises and start performing them, you will be able to improve your orthopaedic health.
What is Low-Impact Exercise?
This type of exercise is not going to tax the body, unlike other aggressive exercises. These exercises are beneficial when sports medicine diagnosis calls for them.
In these exercises, you need to keep one foot on the ground. An ideal orthopaedic solution is to maintain a cardiovascular habit without the involvement of the body's lower half. But it never indicates that exercises will leave the legs out of the equation altogether. These exercises can work out the legs also, without giving undue pressure on them.
How Does Low-Impact Exercise Differ From High-Impact Exercise?
Low-Impact exercises are easy on the knees. It means that these are pain-free and cause minimal pain. Besides, these are for those who have knee injuries or are suffering from pre-existing conditions. However, even if you have not experienced a knee injury, you can still benefit from these exercises occasionally. You need to allow your body's lower half to enjoy a reprieve from activity so that you can have a healthier lifestyle, with help from a specialised orthopedist.
A high-impact exercise example is running. It is one of the common workouts where you have to put the legs up and down. This workout can be taxing during the early months of winter. You can face issues in adjusting your knees to the brittle lower temperatures. Additionally, you may need to struggle to move from the treadmill back outdoors. Other instances of high-impact exercises include landing and jumping.
Common Low-impact Exercises For Knee Pain Relief:
These types of exercises can be a fun change of pace for orthopedics patients.
Cycling: Although cycling relies on legs and knees, it is usually a simple going exercise. It lets you meet your fitness goals. Keep in mind that it is better for your knees when the route is less rugged.
Spinning/Bike Riding: You should know that exercises that help to remove pressure from hips, knees, and back are great. If you can do bike riding, it allows you to protect the joints. The reason is that most of the weight does not fall on your knees; instead, it falls on your seat. Try to fit your shoes properly so that the pressure falls on the middle of the ball of your foot. Thus, it can take pressure off your joints.
Walking: According to most experts, walking is a perfect form of exercise. You can walk anywhere and only a good pair of shoes is required. Even you are capable of doing this exercise in any weather. If you are going to start a walking program, you have to begin this slowly. You need to walk 20-30 minutes at one time. Meanwhile, in a week, you should do it 3-5 times. Walking more frequently assists in building up endurance. You should go to a shoe store that is capable of providing shoe-fitting consultations. Keep in mind that proper cushioning and the right support can help to reduce your knee pain.
Kayaking: It is one of the best examples of low-impact exercises if you like boating. Not only core, it also assists in exercising your arms along with refreshing your mind.
Lifting: Lifting exercises which are not so demanding like others, can be considered as valuable low-impact exercises.
Elliptical: As the elliptical keeps your feet above the ground, your steps will not have a heavy impact like a treadmill.
Rowing Machine: Several people like to enjoy the rowing machine's rhythmic flow. This workout is for the legs.
Yoga: People consider yoga a gentle way to strengthen your body's flexibility. While it is relaxing, it can improve posture. The combination of yoga and other orthopaedic treatments serves as a fitting solution for sciatica.
Water Aerobics: Water serves as a natural resistance to your body. That's why water exercises are useful. Working out in the water allows your body to push against that resistance and build muscle. The pressure from the hips and knees can be released by the water. That's why swimming is recommended as the perfect aerobic exercise by several fitness experts.
You should consult an experienced orthopaedic specialist in order to find the best low-impact exercise for your body.
The Best Low-impact Exercises For Knee Pain Relief
Knee Extension:
This exercise helps to strengthen the quadricep muscle. In order to perform this exercise, follow the steps that we have mentioned below.
- First, you need to sit up tall in a chair.
- Then, you have to put the feet flat on the floor hip-width apart.
- Now, you need to Look straight ahead.
- Next, you need to extend the involved leg and make sure that you are not raising your bottom off the chair.
- Now, you need to Pause for 2-3 seconds. Then, you have to lower the leg to the position you have started.
- Once you master the exercise, you need to add a light ankle weight. Then, you need to perform either to full extension or halfway extended.
- You can do 2-3 sets of this exercise with 10 repetitions.
Quadriceps Static Exercise:
In order to perform this exercise, you need to follow the below-mentioned steps.
- First, you need to sit upright on your bed.
- Make sure that you are keeping your legs straight.
- Now, your task is to roll a small towel and you need to keep it below your knee.
- After that, you have to press down your knee over the towel slowly. Now, you may feel tightness near your knees.
- You need to count 1 to 10 when you are pressing the knee over the towel.
- You have to repeat this exercise 10-20 times every 6- 8 hours for each knee.
Hamstring Curl
This low-impact exercise helps to
strengthen the back of the thigh and knee. Let's learn how to perform this exercise:
- First, you need to stand with your feet hip-width apart. Then, you have to hold onto a chair back or countertop.
- Now, your job is to lift the foot up on the side of the affected knee. Next, you need to raise your heel towards the ceiling.
- Now, you need to keep your upper body and hips pointing forward. Make sure that you are holding this posture for 2-3 seconds. Then, you need to return the lower leg to the starting position.
- You need to do 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Other Types Of Exercise For Knee Pain:
After building up knee strengths, you can add them to your routine. Compared to the high-impact exercises, the low-impact ones put less stress on your joints. These are some examples of low-impact exercises:
Lower-body Stretches For Knee Pain:
The flexibility in the knee joint can be improved by performing low-body stretching. It allows you to move your knee easily. Remember that you need to warm up for at least 5-10 minutes before stretching. Some examples of these kinds of activities include walking, cycling on a stationary bike, or using an elliptical machine.
As soon as you are warmed up, you have to follow the below-mentioned stretches. Then, you need to repeat them after performing the knee-strengthening exercises. You should try these stretches at least 4-5 times a week.
- Heel and calf stretch
- Quadriceps stretch
- Hamstring stretch
Overall Treatment Plan For Knee Pain:
Along with performing home exercises which are recommended by healthcare professionals, you can try this following things:
- Apply ice to get relief.
- Use a knee compression sleeve with the aim of decreasing swelling.
- Physical therapy helps you to reduce knee pain better than home exercises.
- Use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs ( oral or topical) the first few days after you have injured.
- Contact a physical therapist who can help you by supervising an exercise program that is mainly designed for a particular injury.
The Bottom Line:
You should perform these low-impact exercises to get relief from knee pain. Also, these exercises help you to improve flexibility. If you have joint pain, you should talk with a doctor or a physical therapist before performing any exercise.
Frequently asked questions
It helps to improve your muscle strength around the knee joint.
Low-impact exercises can relieve knee pain.
The glutes, quadriceps, and hamstring can contribute to increasing your knee stability. Strengthening muscles is possible with:
- Calf raises
- Hamstring curls
- Leg extensions
- Lunges
- Step-ups
- Squats
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