Tips for Reducing Knee Pain: Strengthen & Stretch!
Did you know that some of the best things you can do to combat knee pain is exercise, stretching, & moving your body?
“Exercise is one of the most important things you can do for knee pain,” says Dr. Lauren Elson, an instructor in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. “The right combination of strengthening and stretching exercises can relieve pain by helping to improve the way the joint moves and functions.” (Bilodeau, 2021) Finding ways to move your body each and every day can make a great impact on your mobility and overall health and wellbeing. If you are struggling with knee pain & are feeling defeated in your current exercise routine, we have provided a few tips below to help reduce pain, improve your knee mobility, & most importantly, get you moving!
Stretch it Out!
Always start any type of movement with a stretch/warm-up. You are much more likely to injure yourself during exercise and increase your knee pain if you don’t warm up properly beforehand. Tight muscles around the knee joint can exacerbate your knee pain as they continuously pull on the knee joint and restrict your range of motion. Stretching might not be our favourite task to do before and after a workout, but your body (& knees) will thank you! Try out some of these stretches to reduce your pesky knee pain: https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/how-to-stretch-knee
Strengthen your Muscles!
By performing specific exercises that target your larger muscle groups above the knee (i.e., hip muscles, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes etc.), you build up strength in your stabilizer muscles around the knee, which may take the edge off your knee pain. Try incorporating some of these knee-strengthening exercises into your daily routine to help build your knee strength and stability. It’s important to listen to your body and make modifications as needed. For example, if squats are not in your current routine, try moving from sitting in a chair to standing.
We hope that some of these tips will help you take control of your knee pain so that you can continue with your health and fitness goals!
For more information please visit:
https://www.healthline.com/health/exercises-for-knee-pain#stretching-exercises
https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/take-control-of-your-knee-pain
References:
Bilodeau, K. (2021, September 1). Take control of your knee pain. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/take-control-of-your-knee-pain
Coping with stress and anxiety. (n.d.). CAMH. Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-health-and-covid-19/coping-with-stress-and-anxiety