It is no secret that doing intensive workouts can often be tough not just on the muscles, but also on the joints. The knees in particular bear the brunt of a workout, particularly those that require a lot of load or impact. So is there a way to protect your knees during intensive workouts? With a few caveats, the answer is typically yes.
Methods to Protect Your Knees
- The first and foremost piece of advice is to warm up and stretch the relevant muscles and joints before starting a workout. This not only serves to reduce the risk of injury but also makes the muscles and joints more supple and therefore less prone to strain or discomfort.
- Wear suitable knee supports and/or braces when taking part in leg or knee-intensive activities. This allows for additional support to your body while you work out, minimizing the risk of injury.
- Minimize weight lifting and intensity. When engaging in exercises that exert significant pressure on the knees, consider reducing the weight lifted or the difficulty level. It’s advisable to seek guidance from a seasoned trainer to optimize this adjustment.
- Incorporate regular rest periods. Ensure you integrate regular rest intervals during your workout sessions. Allowing your body adequate time to recover from physical exertion is essential, diminishing the potential risk of knee injuries.
- Make sure to perform exercises that allow for balanced strength-building across the leg and hip muscles, rather than simply focusing on one particular group of muscles. Strengthening the full set of muscles that support the knee joint in particular helps to reduce the impact of overload or stress on the knee itself. Nowadays, there are new knee treatments and alternative to knee surgery options that can keep your knees strengthened and fit for maintaining an active lifestyle.