6 Surprising Ways Your Workout Is Harming Your Knees
In a bid to get lean for summer, many gym-goers take the intensity of their workouts up a notch – hello abs of steel! But hitting it hard comes with its risks, including knee pain. They seem like tough little joints, but push your knees too far and you could be out of the exercise game longer than you anticipated.
Practice proper form this summer, and don’t let a surprise knee injury upset your holiday plans – here are 6 to watch out for.
Stair Climbers Too Soon
On the whole, stair climbers offer a pretty effective workout. Overtime, they can strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee joints; and they’re great for the glutes if you want a bum like Kim K! But don’t brave the stair climber without any prep beforehand.
You place up to 3.5 times your body weight on the knees as you stair climb, which can be a lot of pressure for such a fragile joint. Without adequate stretching/proper form, you’re opening your knees up to all kinds potential injury, including pain behind the kneecap, pain in front of the knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome) and tightness/inflammation from the hip to the knee (iliotibial band syndrome).
To avoid injury, you need to work on strengthening and stretching the quads/ hamstrings before use. Stabilising exercises like leg lifts, bridges and single leg dips bring support to the knee as you work those steps.
Kickboxing Newbie
You’re pumped and ready to show those pads who’s boss. But take one wrong move and that’s it, class over. Kickboxing is a high-impact, high-intensity activity that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
If you want to take care of your knees during kickboxing and avoid wear and tear, then you need to work on your stability and core strength.
Before braving your first kickboxing class, schedule a few core heavy classes that tighten the tummy muscles and strengthen the upper body. We’re talking toe touches, planks, more leg lifts and lots of bicycle crunches.
Try combining your bodyweight training with effective cardio too, to ensure that your base level of fitness is good and ready for kickboxing.
Competitive Yoga
If you’ve recently embraced the practice of hatha yoga, but can’t quite get the hang of it, chances are you need to relax. The beauty of yoga is that it’s none competitive. Whilst it can feel a little intimidating bending and flexing around yogis who’ve been practising for years, always take it at your own pace. Push yourself too far, and you could be doing more harm than good.
When you’re bending into poses like the downward facing dog, triangle pose and warrior I, ensure that it’s in proper form, either by checking that you’re aligned correctly in a mirror or by asking an instructor. With each session, you’ll gradually improve your technique and build strength in process – which is great for the knees!
Bad Bodyweight Moves
Squats and lunges are staple moves for fitness lovers. They’re perfect for strengthening and toning the whole body, especially when teamed with weights. But perform them incorrectly, and you’re just asking for knee pain.
Despite being low-impact exercises, these moves put a substantial amount of pressure on the knee. If you aren’t carrying your weight correctly whilst squatting/lunging and the knees aren’t aligned as they should be, then you’re not only at the risk of injury, but the exercise itself will be less effective.
Master the squat by having the feet hip width apart/back straight and slowly push out the hips/bend your knees; keeping the knees aligned and behind the toes. Imagine you’re about to sit on a chair – engaging the core and glutes.
And the lunge? Again the key with this is to keep the knees aligned/upper body straight with the front knee over your foot, and the back knee pointing down. Ensure that the shoulders, hips and knees don’t twist or turn as you execute this move.
Take all the time you need to master these bodyweight exercises; good form is far more important than rep count.
Hilly Runs
If you’re prone to knee injuries, running is a no-no; at least to begin with. According to the author of "The Runner's Body," Ross Tucker, “each time your foot makes contact with the ground, forces equalling two to four times your body weight travel upward through your lower leg, knee, thigh, hip and pelvis, and into your spine," reports Livestrong.
Running is a high impact sport that hits the knees hard. Its repetitive nature can cause great strain to the joints, especially if you’re heading across hilly terrain.
If you love to run, it’s wise to take preventive measures to avoid injury, through effective warm-ups and good running shoes. Also work on strengthening the knees through bodyweight exercises and stretching, e.g. lateral step-ups, hip lifts and you guessed it, more leg lifts.
Class After Class
Whilst we admire your determination, please spare a minute for your knees. Too many intense workouts in quick succession, e.g. HIIT followed by circuits followed by spinning; makes you more susceptible to injury. When planning your weekly workout, aim to vary your training so the intense classes are complemented by low-impact workouts. Your knees will thank you for it.
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