Knee Care Program

Know Your Joints

Make an appointment with us either in person or online to talk about a conditioning program that is specific for you and possibly have a knee assessment. Email us at fittec@me.com. Every body is different so every conditioning program must be designed to account for that.

The Chart below list all of my favorite Knee Care Tests some of which are strength and flexibility exercises. Schedule a meeting with us so that we can go over the tests or do them on yourself and discuss the results with us (knee care tests). Email us at fittec@me.com.

KNEE CARE TESTS

Pain in the knees could be caused from overuse from work, sport, and life as well as muscle imbalances and structural issues around the hips, knees, ankles, and feet. You should seek out medical care if you have have pain, but following these self care tips and exercises may help prevent it from ever happening. All the exercises takes minutes a day and can be done almost anywhere. So there are no excuses not to do. This program is for prevention of knee pain and for overall health. Never do an exercise if it causes pain. It is also a good idea to perform some of the basic exercises from our low back care program because pain and weakness in the knees are sometimes linked to the low back and hip.

See your doctor if you have pain.


Simple Knee Care Exercise Video


SELF CARE

1 Take the knee through a full range of motion daily (this nourishes the joint). This does not mean doing deep squats, but it does mean bending the knee through a range of motion to offer fluid motion in the knee. Suggestions put one foot flat on bench and then bend and extend that knee keeping foot flat for 10 or more reps with no pain, perform shallow squats to tolerance with no pain, perform unweighted seated leg extensions (make sure you go to full extension), and try supported squats (see exercises below).

2 Stretch the muscles around your knees, hips, and ankles daily. See tests to the right and stretches below. * Three important points when stretching: Both knees (sides) should be the same, there should be no pain, and make sure you have normal flexibility to the calf musculature. Calf tightness is often overlooked and it may impact knee function.

3 Follow a strengthening program two or more days per week if you have no pain. Your trainer can help you design a program that is right for you. The muscular tests used in the self tests are great exercises to use in a knee strengthening program (which can be done daily) as long as there is no pain. There are other exercises listed below that can be help as well.

4 Wear proper shoes especially if you have foot issues. Those with knee arthritis should wear shoes that are cushioned.

5 Self Massage: If you lack mobility of the knee cap, quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, and calves then in addition to the stretches you may need to do muscle releasing techniques (examples use of a foam roller) or use your hand to massage the belly of the muscle(s). Ask your trainer on how to perform.

6 Gait Change: It is a good idea that if you pain is severe enough to change your gait a walking aid (cane or crutch) may be a good idea till it subsides. Walking abnormally can do more harm. Do not neglect your pain, always seek medical care.

7 Lose weight Body weight places a tremendous stress on your knees. Try to keep a healthy weight. See below for more details.

8 Everyone needs aerobic activity for good health therefore choose activities that do not abuse the knee. Examples are walking, biking, and elliptical. See below for more details.

9. Never stand with locked knees. Locked knees puts a tremendous amount of stress on the knees. Try to avoid standing to long in the same position as well. This is not just bad for your knees but its bad for your back.

11. Try not to sit in awkward positions with knees crossed or bent underneath. If you are going to sit for long period of time try to have your knees slightly bent at hip level or slightly lower.

10. This knee self care program is a preventative program and not meant for chronics knee pain or arthritic care (talk to your doctor in that case), but generally speaking if you have acute pain ice is a good idea, but if you have arthritic pain heat may be best.



MORE DETAILS ON KNEE HEALTH adapted from WebMed: The knee is very vulnerable because it has such a degree of motion and takes a lot of stress from daily activity. Bound by an intricate system of ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and muscle, the knee is highly prone to injury. It's a complex hinge where the femur (thigh bone), tibia (shin bone), fibula (next to tibia) and kneecap all come together. Do not ignore pain. Get it checked out, figure out what may

be causing it and change your activity level, footwear, and posture. Body weight is crucial to knee health. According to WebMed every pound of body weight yields five pounds of force on the knee, so even 10 extra pounds can put a considerable load on those joints. According to the CDC, two out of three obese adults suffer from knee osteoarthritis at some time in their life. Although diet and exercise are critical for weight loss, it can be hard if your knees hurt. Find alternatives from walking like elliptical or exercise bike and it is really important to do some high intensity interval training and strength training especially around the knee and hips that offer effort but not pain. If you do get injured the rest and rehabilitation period after a knee injury is critical to avoiding future pain or re-injury. So it is key to follow the doctors or therapists suggestions and programs or you can make a bad situation worst. Important to remember is that a sudden increase in intensity or duration of activity can cause overuse injuries from repetitive strain. So when doing any type of new activity start off slow.  When starting a fitness or rehabilitation program remember pushing too hard is related to overtraining  syndrome, a physiological and psychological condition among athletes in which they exceed their ability to perform and recover from physical exertion, often leading to injury or lowered performance. Be sure to include stretching exercises before and after working out. And follow hard training days with easy ones so your body can recover. A good defense of knee pain is a good offense by building supportive musculature through strengthening. Weak muscles and lack of flexibility are primary causes of knee injuries, according to the Mayo Clinic. When the muscles around the kneecap, hip, and pelvis are strong, it keeps the knee stable and balanced, providing support by absorbing some of the stress exerted on the joint.

Adapted excerpt from : www.webmd.com)


Movement, strengthening and stretching is the first line of defense in preventing knee issues.

Your body and your joints liked to be moved safely.  


Some of my Favorite Knee Care Exercises