How to Avoid a Knee Injury
Overview
The knees are an intricate joint that involves ligaments, tendons, cartilage and an oscillating knee cap. They are by far one of the most important parts of the human anatomy and also one of the most injury prone. Pain stemming from a knee injury can be acute, but it can also linger on for years, and in the worst of cases, your whole life. That is why it is important to take some preventive measures to ensure you keep your knees in as good of shape as possible and free of injury.
Step 1
Strengthen the muscles around the knees. The knees are held together by muscles and tendons that are connected to the nearby muscles and bones. To keep your knees in good working order, do some exercises that strengthen the nearby muscles. Some of these exercises include step-ups, hamstring curls, lunges, calf raises and deep knee bends. These are also no-impact exercises.
Step 2
Maintain your flexibility. Stretching the connective tissue is also an important aspect of knee injury prevention. If the tendons and ligaments do not get adequate stretching, they will become non-elastic and be subject to injury. To get a full-body stretch routine, attend yoga classes or get a yoga DVD.
Step 3
Keep moving. Perhaps one of the most important factors to avoid knee injuries is movement. Living a sedentary lifestyle can lead to stiff joints from lack of use. To avoid this, get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. To make it even safer on the knees, partake in non-impact exercises like biking, swimming, elliptical training and rowing.
Step 4
Protect your knees at all times. If you do any high-impact jumping and landing such as in plyometric training, make sure that your mechanics are good, land soft on the knees and make sure to bend them to absorb impact. Also, if you have a job where you kneel for long hours or if you are going to be doing any home projects where you are kneeling for a long time, wear knee pads.
Step 5
Keep your weight under control. If you are overweight or obese, your joints have to take a lot more shock when you are walking and even sitting still. The exercise you are doing will already help to keep your weight under control but also make some dietary adjustments. Avoid high-fat, high-calorie foods that lack nutrition. Instead, eat fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds and beans.
Step 6
Be careful where you run. If you are a runner, avoid any rough surfaces that can cause sharp jolting movements of the ankles. This can radiate up to your knees and cause an injury. An example of this would be a mountain trail that has rocks and stumps sticking up.
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