Want to start running regularly and lose some weight, but afraid of ruining your knees?
Well, we all have heard this “Running, especially on hard roads/surfaces can cause wear and tear.”
What’s your view here?
According to Irish Times, “Recently a systemic review of 43 previous MRI studies found no evidence that running causes either short-term or long-term damage to knee cartilage. It also means that if there is pain in the knee and if you stop your daily walk or run, your knee will NOT miraculously heal.
Let’s talk today about what can be done to keep the knees healthy.
- Get your science right for the cartilage: Cartilage is soft, flexible connective tissue found in many areas of body. Eg. Ankles, knees, elbows. It helps in providing support to bones where there is a need for flexibility. Activities like walking/running squeeze the cartilage like a sponge. In this process waste is expelled and oxygen rich fluid in joint increases with each step taken.
Cartilage is a living tissue that is highly adaptive and it thrives with regular use. For better health of cartilage, get active.
- Do exercise for short time and frequently: Incase of joint pain, instead of stopping exercise, reduce time and do it more frequently through out the day. According to Keith Barr, a physiologist at the University of California, 10 minutes of exercise helps the cartilage and other connective tissues.
However, one needs to make sure that the joints are not overloaded. Jean Francois Esculier, head of research for Running Clinic in Canada, suggested that knee pain that persists for more than an hour after exercise, or the next day is a sign that the joints were overloaded.
- Beneficial exercise and movements: Exercises like squats and lunges help in strengthening the muscles of knees and hips.One can start for 15 minutes a day and 5 days a week. It is important to pay attention to the body posture while doing exercises. Put equal amount of weigh on both legs to prevent jerk or fall.
In addition, simple movements like climbing stairs, getting up from chair or swinging the swing is also beneficial.
- Beneficial Food:
Good fat sources eg, ghee, olive and coconut oil, good quality fish, nuts, sesame and flax seeds, Fruits- Pineapple, blueberry, cherry, tomato, Vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, Grains- chickpeas, kidney beans, food with medicinal properties – onion, garlic, turmeric, ginger etc are helpful for strengthening the joints. One must include them in their diet. Omega 3 supplements can also be taken as per the advice of doctor/health consultant.
- Old injuries: Never ignore old injuries. If its recurring, show it to good physiotherapist and take necessary steps to recover out of it.
In nutshell, movement and right kind of exercises keeping right posture is helpful for knees/joing health. If muscle strengthning exercises are done frequently and for a short time, it surely gives benefit to your knee health.
Thank you.