The knees are the largest of the 360 joints in the body and shouldn’t be taken for granted. They can cause you a lot of pain. Especially as you age.
Luckily, there are things you can do to keep your knees happy.
You can start by slimming down. Every extra pound you pack on puts about 4 extra pounds of pressure on your knees when you walk or take the stairs. If you weigh 150 pounds, that’s 600 pounds of pressure on each knee according to www.health.com.
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You need to keep your bones strong with plenty of calcium. Load up with fresh dairy products and green vegetables like kale, collards and broccoli to get your daily supply of this important mineral.
Wear flat shoes when you can. Heels increase the amount of stress applied to your knees. And the higher the heel the worse it gets.
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Squeeze your knees together while you’re sitting. That’s a start towards building strong inner thigh muscles which are crucial for absorbing stress while you walk so you don’t strain your knees.
Low-impact exercises throughout the day prevent knee stiffness. In fact, exercise keeps knees strong and functional. It’s not a bad idea to turn off the TV when you can and go out for a walk, remembering that sidewalks or worn paths put less strain on the knees than grass or cobblestone. As a plus, physical activity also prevents unnecessary snacking.
“Exercising can be a double-edge sword” says Dr. Metzl of WebMD, though. “When knee pain limits your ability to do what you normally do, you need to have it checked out. If your body is sending you signals, you need to listen to it,” she adds.
And don’t underestimate the value of rest and rehabilitation after a knee injury. It’s critical in avoiding future pain or re-injury. Depending on the type of damage and treatment, recovery could last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months.
Norma Nixon Schofield
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