Protecting Your Knees Throughout All Stages of Life

The knees are a common area for injury and pain, with incidences occurring in roughly one-fifth of the population, and this is only second behind back pain. Because of this, it is common to hear someone you know talk about their “bad knees” at some point or another, especially in the older population. While knee pain can be common, it is also fairly easy to take care of to keep pain at bay and it is best to start working on them as early as possible.

The following information will help you get in touch with your knees and keep them as pain-free as possible as you age.

Strengthen Your Knees

Performing various strength training exercises will help increase your overall strength, work capacity, and tendon strength, all of which can help reduce knee pain in the short and long-term. Don’t neglect your glutes and hamstrings, as they play a massive role in knee support and control.

Perform A Variety Of Activities

While you are exercising, it is important to work different motions and activities to help increase the tolerance you have to movement. Add variety to your routine!

Maintain A Healthy Weight

Your BMI is a good place to start, but it isn’t the end-all-be-all healthy weight markers. The scaling can be skewed if someone carries more muscle mass. In general, a decrease in body mass (adipose tissue, not contractile) is associated with a concurrent decrease in knee symptoms across all populations.

Know When To Take It Easy

There may be times where your knees have a bit more irritation, and it is important to make sure you are prioritizing recovery during this time to help stave off further increases in pain and injury. That doesn’t necessarily mean to completely stop all activity, but rather be more mindful of what is and isn’t causing the irritation.

The knees are a vital piece of our movement puzzle, and it is important that we take good care of them as we age. The steps above are a great start that will work for the majority of individuals. If you are currently experiencing pain and would like to get back to moving pain-free, schedule a free assessment with your local Athletico today. Free Assessments are available in-clinic and virtually through our Telehealth platform.

Request a Free Assessment

*Per federal guidelines, beneficiaries of plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, VHA and other federally funded plans are not eligible for free assessments.

The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.

References:
1. Urwin M, Symmons D, Allison T, et al. Estimating the burden of musculoskeletal disorders in the community: the comparative prevalence of symptoms at different anatomical sites, and the relation to social deprivation. Ann Rheum Dis. 1998;57(11):649-655. doi:10.1136/ard.57.11.649