Protect Your Knees

Posted By: Pam Kortho

As people age, their knees often weaken and become vulnerable to arthritis and fractures. Undergoing knee surgery proves to be a painful and difficult process; it may be weeks before people are fully recovered and able to resume their normal routines. As such, health experts recommend that people take care of their knees to avoid such damage. Exercising on a regular basis helps people strengthen their knees and minimizes the risk that they will have to undergo knee replacement surgery.

Most common exercises for this part of the body focus on keeping the tendons and ligaments in the knee flexible. Knee lunges help people stretch these body parts and allow plenty of oxygen to flow to that region of the body. To perform a knee lunge, a person should keep one leg stationary while lunging forward with the other leg. This activity stretches and exercises the tendons and ligaments, which in turn keeps them limber and protects them from becoming strained.

Similarly, people may benefit from lifting weights with their legs. Many gyms have leg lifting machines that allow people to lift weights with their ankles. As they bring these weights level to their bodies, their knees become stronger. Building up muscle around their knee joints protects the bones in that part of their bodies.

When people do not want to lift weights or perform exercises, they can still keep their knees limber and strong by walking or bicycling. In fact, these activities prove ideal for those who do not have access to a gym or choose not to join such a facility. Walking and bicycling both involve the repetitive motions of bending and straightening the knees. These repetitive motions allow that part of the body to build resistance and increase muscle mass to protect the bones in the knees.