Your knees are more than mere joints; they’re shock absorbers, load bearers, and pivot points. Unfortunately, knees are also prone to osteoarthritis as they age. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that breaks down the cartilage that helps cushion your knee joints and keeps each step you take smooth, fluid, and pain-free.
Lifestyle habits play a major role in how healthy your knees are. Chances are, you already place added stress on your knees by your lifestyle and habits. Let’s look at some common habits that are hard on your knees and may increase your risk of osteoarthritis and other knee problems.
Sitting Too Much
Sitting too much isn’t only tough on your hips and back; it’s harmful to your knee health too. When you sit in a chair for prolonged periods, your muscles and joints stiffen. The type of chair matters too. A chair that’s too low places your knees at an unnatural angle and can trigger knee pain. How many people who suffer from knee pain don’t realize their chair is a contributor?
Get an ergonomically friendly chair and make sure it’s at a level that your buttocks are in line with your knees. Also, get up and walk around and stretch every 20 to 30 minutes to reduce stiffness and break up periods of sitting.
Sitting with Your Legs Crossed
It’s a common habit that many people do unconsciously. Sitting with one leg crossed over the other places added pressure on one knee joint and the ligaments that help stabilize your knee. The first step towards breaking this habit is to be aware you’re doing it. Pay more attention to how you’re sitting. Some people also have a habit of propping one lower leg under their upper thigh. Not only are these habits harmful to your knees, but they’re also bad for your back and posture.
Walking or Running on Uneven Surfaces
Walking or running on an uneven surface change the angle of the leg, which puts more strain on the ligaments on one side. Walking on a softer surface with more give is also easier on your knee joints. For example, a concrete or asphalt surface places more stress on your joints than walking on dirt or a soft walking track. Even walking on firm indoor surfaces, like marble, while wearing dress shoes, is hard on your knees.
Wearing High Heels
When you wear high heels, it shifts your center of gravity. This forces other muscles, including those in your back, to work harder. So, it’s not surprising that wearing high heels can lead to back pain. But wearing heels also places added stress on your feet, knees, and anterior thighs, as these body parts have to work harder to maintain balance when your center of gravity shifts. The higher the heel, the more you throw your center of gravity off, and the greater the effect on your back and knees. So, save those sky-high heels for special occasions.
Lack of Physical Activity
Lack of exercise is harmful to your knee joints in several ways. When you sit too long, your joints stiffen. Any movement is better than uninterrupted sitting because it reduces stiffness and helps lubricate your knee joints. But you also need strength training to strengthen your quadriceps muscles, the muscles in the front of your thighs that help stabilize and support your knees. Research shows quad strengthening may lower the risk of osteoarthritis.
Weight Gain
One of the best things you can do for your knees is maintaining a healthy body weight. Obesity is a top cause of knee osteoarthritis, and for good reason. For every extra pound you carry on your frame, your knees must support 4 times more weight. The force on your knees is even higher when you climb a flight of stairs or walk up a hill or incline.
A study of overweight adults found that carrying too much weight as adults increases the risk of knee osteoarthritis in the third and fourth decade of life. That’s too young to have knee problems! Stay physically active and focus on wholesome nutrition so you can stay a healthy body weight to reduce some of the pressure on your knees. Even a modest loss of weight is beneficial for your knees.
Not Varying Your Workouts
It’s great that you’re working out! It’s one of the best things you can do to strengthen the muscles that support your knees and keep your joints well-lubricated. But it’s also crucial to vary your workouts to avoid repetitive stress injuries. When you do the same exercises over and over without giving your body adequate recovery, stress accumulates and can cause inflammation in the tendons surrounding your knees.
One of the most common causes of repetitive stress injuries to the knees is running long distances or suddenly increasing your running mileage. If you run, cross-train and include strength training in your routine to strengthen the muscles that support your knees.
The Bottom Line
Knees are the most intricate joints in the human body. They are especially vulnerable to injury because they have little shock-absorbing cartilage on the ends of their bones. Even more of a reason to take care of them. You need healthy ones to help you get around safely and efficiently.
References:
- “Preventing Knee Pain | Rush System.” rush.edu/news/preventing-knee-pain.
- “Preventing Strains, Sprains, and Repetitive Motion Injuries.” osha.gov/sites/default/files/2018-12/fy11_sh-22310-11_PreventingSprainsStrains_RSI.pptx.
- Vincent HK, Heywood K, Connelly J, Hurley RW. Obesity and weight loss in the treatment and prevention of osteoarthritis. PM R. 2012 May;4(5 Suppl):S59-67. doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2012.01.005. PMID: 22632704; PMCID: PMC3623013.
- “Exercise: Rx for overcoming osteoarthritis – Harvard Health.” 24 Jun. 2019, health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercise-rx-for-overcoming-osteoarthritis.
- “Sitting risks: How harmful is too much sitting? – Mayo Clinic.” 21 Aug. 2020, mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005.
- Voloshina AS, Kuo AD, Daley MA, Ferris DP. Biomechanics and energetics of walking on uneven terrain. J Exp Biol. 2013 Nov 1;216(Pt 21):3963-70. doi: 10.1242/jeb.081711. Epub 2013 Aug 2. PMID: 23913951; PMCID: PMC4236228.
- “Age-proof your knees – Harvard Health.” 13 Oct. 2020, https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/age-proof-your-knees.
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