knee pain - causes, prevention

[jgoycoolea]

At the age of 40, after 20 years of working out, I have started to experience knee discomfort. I know I should cross train more, but can't really fit it in consistently, or even want to I suppose.

So I was wondering...

1. Which Cathe based exercises cause this discomfort or contribute more to it?

For instance, is it exercises that cause a big bend in the knees, like a crotching position in a squat thrust, or is a staight leg jump into the air where you come back down with some impact? Do lunges or squats with weight contribute more than non-weighted exercises? Is positioning a big concern, for instance the more your knees extend out over the toe the bigger the problem?

2. Is the discomfort triggered by different exercises for different people?

3. What would you suggest to try and ward off more discomfort and keep myself going as long as I can?

Thank you,
Jeanne

 

[syzygy314]

Hi!

First, I would like to say that any exercise, not just Cathe's workouts, can cause knee or any kind of pain if not done properly.

Secondly, the pain can also be caused by overuse or repetitive movement. You say you don't crosstrain. That could be why you are starting to have knee pain.

On the other hand, it could be medically related. Possibly, new development of arthritis or something. As we age, the amount of fluid in our joints begins to decrease, the cushioning between our joints begins to harden and doesn't give us as much shock absorption.

These are only some of the possibilities and a lot depends on how often you work out, the surface you work out on, etc., etc.

What I would suggest, especially because there are too many possibilities to really pin it on one thing, is that you see your doctor first. If it's a new problem, you may just have strained your knees and just need a few days off. It's impossible to say for sure.

Take care of yourself though! (Like you don't already know that!) Get it checked! Your body is telling you something's not quite right!

 

[Autumn68]

I'm 41 and have the same problem. I bought a knee brace which helps, but I would see a doc. I spoke to one, but will be seeing one soon re: mine.

 

[mjd]

I'm a knee pain sufferer too and bought a dvd called "Strong Knees" (Gaiam). It's a series of exercises specifically designed to improve your knee strength and it's presented by a physical therapist who does an excellent job of explaining what causes knee pain. Doing this dvd at least once a week for the past few months has really helped my knees. Collage and Total Fitness carry it.

 

[Stebby]

Wanted to jump in and say that I also endorse the "Strong Knees" video - it is terrific, a real gem. I developed a severe muscle imbalance around the end of 2008. I assumed my pain was related to my ACL reconstruction surgery in 1999 and/or arthritis. I couldn't go up or down stairs without pain, and doing step or plyometrics was out of the question. Turns out (after several sessions with a chiropractor and athletic therapist) that my problem was overdeveloped outer quads, tight IT bands, and underdeveloped vastus medialus, adductors & hamstrings. Apparently this is quite common with people who do weight training - it's easy to exacerbate pre-existing muscle imbalances without realizing it. I bought "Strong Knees" from Collage on a whim because I was sick of doing stretches from a sheet provided by my athletic therapist (I much prefer videos).

The "Strong Knees" video has been absolutely key to my recovery over the past six months. There is a basic muscle strengthening section for each major muscle group on/affecting the legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves) followed by a thorough 10-minute stretch. I'm now back to full activity, including running, step and plyometrics, with no pain anymore. I started out doing the full "Strong Knees" every second day - now that I've gotten my muscles back in balance and have learned how to engage the "right" muscles when I work out rather than overusing my quads, I mostly just do the stretching segment a couple of times a week for maintenance.

I agree with the others about seeing your doctor, but if there aren't any contraindications, I'd really recommend this video.

Stebby

 

[112toGuru]

ditto strong knees

I too use strong knees, about eight weeks into stepping, basic & body fusion, then LIS was noticing either muscle imbalance, or other tightness around hamstrings or mostly just the right, surprising though because we have so many steps in the house (laundry days are usally a pretty good workout!)

I didn't have it diagnosed, but I started strong knees DVD, three times a week, and also stretches from Anatomy of Stretching book, mostly for those reasons & a noticeable left/right imbalance in leg strength.

I too wanted to know whether or not "knee bend" plays into that, like if you start to get fatigued, or if you're not bending your knees enough in the first place, would that contribute to over stress in that area?

so far I think the strong knees exercises & stretch are working, I haven't experienced the tightness in hamstrings

Linda

 

[syzygy314]

I just want to say "thanks" for the Strong Knees recommendation! I have always had tight hamstrings, but no real knee problems. I went through the whole entourage of primary MD, orthopedic MD, chiropractor, sports medicine MD, x-rays, MRI, etc. to find out that my only problem was tight hamstrings, but I DID CHECK WITH THE DOCTORS FIRST!

Knees are not something you want to mess with! See your doc AND, as long as you don't have any serious problem, also get Strong Knees! I'm going to check it out myself!

 

[Sass]

I'm 31 and I'm already feeling that tingling sensation in my knees after being on the step and going deep into lunges and squats and my form is perfect. I find that I need to do a long warmup for my knees before I do any workout so that's what I do. I've also come to terms that I can't do step aerobics or any step workout with risers so I just use the step and so that has been working out nicely. I've been blaming my height for my discomfort...I'm like 5'10...5'11 so I try to get the shock when I come down onto my feet to go into the balls of my feet instead into my heel. I'm not sure if that is the answer, but I have to be careful if I want to be walking when I turn 40.

 

[AliCoop]

I notice knee pain at times after doing high impact workouts (Circuit Blast did me in earlier this week). I have to be super aware when I do things like leg presses on the high step to put my weight in the heel, not my toes, and engage my hamstrings/glutes more. It seems to make a big difference. But I do want to protect my knees since I am only 32 and hope to do Cathe videos for years to come. I think I'll give that Strong Knees DVD a try. Thanks for the suggestion.