knee exercises?

susanz

susanz

Cathlete
Hi Cathe! I'm wondering if there are any specific exercises for the knees? After a life of athletics and exercise my husband swears I'll need knee replacement surgery before I'm 40. Which isn't too far away any more! :)
I do the squats,lunges,extensions but is there anything to do just for the area surrounding your knees? Do you do anything to keep your own knees healthy? Any input would be welcomed! Thank you!! Susan
 
Hi, Susan,
As a physical therapist, athletic trainer and clinical exercise physiologist, I can tell you that there's no validity to the statement that you will need knee replacement surgery before you're 40. Matter of fact, I know of no surgeon who would even think of knee replacements for anyone of your age, barring very extenuating circumstances.

Keeping the musculature surrounding the knee joint strong while avoiding unnecessary stress on the actual joint itself are the keys to maintaining healthy knees. By watching form and listening to your body as far as pain in the knees goes, you'll be able to do both without too much difficulty. If you do have pain with specific exercises, there are easy ways to modify them to prevent injury while keeping the muscles strong.

Sorry--not Cathe, but this is my passion as well as my profession--I had to chime in!
Maribeth
 
RE: knee exercises?Thank you Maribeth!

I do appreciate the advice. I TRY to listen to my knees but sometimes I get stubborn and just keep pushing myself through it. I do practice proper form at all times especially during lunges(they tend to bother me the most).
Hey, and don't aplogize for not "being Cathe" you're obviously very knowledgeable and I again appreciate it! :)
Take care and stay strong !
 
RE: knee exercises?Thank you Maribeth!

Susan,
A better idea than pushing through it might be to find out why they hurt. Many times it is a problem we can easily fix in therapy. To push through on an ongoing basis is to set yourself up for trouble--sorry to say, I know from firsthand experience. I had knee problems starting back in my late childhood and early teens. Nothing was done, so I went on having pain with activities, ignoring the pain. By the time I was old enough to know I needed to do something, I was set in my ways.

Finally, it got so bad I had to do something. Last August I had surgery on my left knee and in December on my right one. I had tons of problems, including loose bodies, a bone spur and kneecaps which have a huge area where there is no cartilage left at all--permanent damage.

Well, they fixed what had originally caused the problem--could have been fixed with physical therapy had I gone at a younger age, and now my knees are much better. They will never be 100% though. So if you are having knee pain on a regular basis, get it checked out. It will be much better in the long run!
Maribeth
 
RE: knee exercises?Hi again!

I know I should get it checked it out. It's really only the right knee that bothers me the most. One more thing to discuss with the doc when I go in couple weeks.
I really don't want to have to endure the surgeries you did so I thank you for the extra "push" to get it checked! ;-)
Take care, Susan
 
RE: knee exercises?Thank you Maribeth!

Maribeth, can I ask you what exercises you recommend to keep the knee area strong?
 
RE: knee exercises?Thank you Maribeth!

Mindi,
If you're pain free, really focus on keeping the quads and hamstrings strong, stretched and balanced. The hip musculature--abductors and adductors contribute greatly to knee stability also, so hit those, too.

I typically do variations of squats, lunges, leg presses knee extensions, leg curls, hip ab and adduction (standing with cables, using machines and sidelying with ankle weights or resistance bands), paying particular attention to staying in the pain free range of motion for the first four exercises I mentioned, given my history of knee problems. You'll also want to include gastroc strengthening, since it crosses the knee joint.

Stretching, particularly for the quads, hamstrings and hip abductors, is very important for maintaining healthy knees, especially in women. Due to our wider pelvic structure, we tend to have problems with soft tissue restrictions in the IT band region, which sets us up for problems if we don't stretch appropriately to counter the problem.

Hope this is helpful!
Maribeth
 
RE: knee exercises?Thank you Maribeth!

Thanks very much Maribeth! I have no problem doing squats, but sometimes after a long bout of lunges, my knees don't like it very much. Since I'm 47 years old, I wondered if maybe I'm putting too much strain on them..and I'm overweight, (but working on losing it!), couldn't help. For some reason the movement of the lunge will bother me, yet squats, regulaor or plie, don't bother me.

I tend to lean to not doing lunges because of that.
 
RE: knee exercises

I have trouble with my knees, too. I've had surgery on one of them, but they can both give me trouble. Seems like there's always a lot of popping going on and sometimes mild pain. I blame it on working in shoe store back when I was in school - tons of squatting involved!

The main exercise that plagues me is the step forward type of lunge. I've just about given up trying to do it. I substitute static lunges and/or the reverse kind where you step back with the non-working leg. Step ups don't bother me, either.

Angela
 
RE: knee exercises

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Aug-15-02 AT 03:25PM (Est)[/font][p]The step forward type of lunges can sometimes be a problem for several reasons. First, they are a real balance and stability challenge, which in and of itself can cause a bit of torque on the knee. Second, it is very easy to have a tendency to sort of fall into the lunge, landing hard on the lead foot and transmitting the impact up to the knee. Thirdly, people will tend to drop right into the lunge too quickly, not controlling the movement by firing the musculature right away--like when somebody will go to sit, but just plop down. Finally, allowing the knee to jut out past the toes will happen when people don't take a long enough step or try to rush the motion.

If it is an exercise you want to be able to add, I suggest you try it at a slower pace, concentrating on gently lowering yourself when you step forward. Also, practice by checking just how far out you need to step in order to ensure your knee stays behind your toes. Only descend as far as you can without knee pain, too.

Once you can do this, then try them along with the video. Particularly for people much taller than the instructor or with a history of knee pain, the speed at which the lunges on videos take place may be hard to keep up with. Pace yourself and work within your own limits!
Maribeth
 
RE: knee exercises

Thanks, Maribeth! That's a great explanation and sounds like a good game plan.

I suspect I have been guilty of "plopping," instead of doing a controlled descent. Now that my leg muscles are stronger, I should be able to do a better job. I'll have to keep trying.

Angela
 
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