I spare my knees
By adopting the right reflexes : climb the stairs keeping your back straight and pressing on the entire surface of the foot (not just the front), bend the knees in line with the feet while keeping the heels on the ground to lower yourself. To turn to the side, always rotate the knees at the same time as the feet.
By correcting my posture : knees which turn inward or outward, a sagging arch of the foot, can, in the long run, wear down the cartilages. If necessary, we take appointment with a podiatrist who can make corrective insoles.
By keeping a healthy weight : 1 kg in excess represents an additional force of 3 to 4 kg on each knee when walking.
I maintain their mobility
Every morning lying in bed, they are gently stripped for a few minutes. First with flexions and extensions in the axis of the body by sliding the foot on the bed. Then, with the leg bent, rotations of the knee and ankle are carried out, rotating the heel on the bed, to the right, then to the left.
Regularly, we stretch the leg muscles. More flexible, they will be less restrictive for the joint and will limit wear and tear of cartilage.
We also think about working on our balance to strengthen its proprioceptive sensors (which stabilize the body and limit the risk of injury). Standing, bend one leg and keep balance for 30 sec to 1 min. If it’s too easy, we do the exercise on a cushion.
I strengthen my knees
Our knees are maintained by ligaments but also by muscles. The more toned they are, the more stable the joint. The recommended exercises are simple and accessible to everyone: lunges, squats, rear leg extensions with elastic …
Hyper effective for toning the thighs : the exercise of the chair. Back to the wall we bend the knees so that the thighs are parallel to the ground and we hold as long as possible.
We always take the stairs a good habit to build both legs and buttocks.
I play sports (reasonably)
Even if you have fragile knees, it is essential to move to maintain the good health of your joints. In this case, the preferred sports are swimming (except breaststroke) walking and cycling (preferably on flat ground) and all gentle activities such as aquagym, yoga, Pilates …
If we practice an impact sport (running, tennis …), we regularly add muscle strengthening and stretching of the whole body to his sessions. Thus, we do not always use the same muscles.
Read also :
Knee pain: what it can mean
Fragile knee: the right treatments
