The knee is one of the largest, strongest, and most often-used joints in your body! Having knee arthritis can make an everyday activity such as walking up a staircase feel like you’re climbing Mount Everest. Anyone can be at risk for knee arthritis – particularly those who have a family history, injury, infection, are overweight, or are simply getting older. Luckily, there are exercises that are considered to be the best non-drug treatments for diminishing pain and helping improve range of motion for patients with knee arthritis. Exercise can help limit the pain by strengthening the muscles surrounding the knee joint. Every pound of weight that one loses is eight pounds off your knee. Stronger muscles ease the stress pushed on the knee joint and act as a shock absorber – diverting some of the daily strain triggered by walking and numerous other daily activities. Wait until you have the green light from your physician to see if you can perform helpful exercises for your knee arthritis pain. Continue reading to learn about the best exercises to help ease your knee arthritis discomfort and get back to feeling your best!
#1. Walking
Walking is the ultimate exercise for people who have knee arthritis. Walking builds your muscles so they take the pressure off your joints and handle more of the weight themselves, which means less pain for your knees! Walking will unintentionally help you lose weight, and for every pound you lose there is eight times less pressure and stress put on your knees! When there is less pressure present, there will be less pain. To stay healthy it is recommended to get thirty minutes of exercise daily. Try to incorporate walking in little increments throughout your day. Ten minutes in the morning, afternoon, and evening can be extremely beneficial for you and your muscles. Try not to walk on an incline before discussing with your physician. Walking is a great low impact way to help reduce knee pain – plus it costs you nothing!
#2. Biking
Whether it’s biking outdoors, a stationary bike, or spin class, this exercise can deliver an awesome workout without irritating or straining your knee muscles. Bicycling is a great choice for individuals with knee arthritis because it involves repetitive knee movements while eliminating the high pressure. Bicycling also promotes the production and flushing of fluids through the joints, which then lubricates and washes away waste products. Overall, having a regular routine of bicycling keeps your knees continuously moving through their range of motion, plus strengthens the muscles that support your knees. To lessen the impact or strain on your knees, you can adjust the pedals so that the knees do not come up to an angle greater than 90 degrees. Try to keep the bicycling on flat land and stay away from inclines!
#3. Swimming
Fun fact – when you are swimming, 90% of your body fat is assisted by the water. The somewhat weightless environment helps you to decrease the pain when moving your joints that are affected by your knee arthritis. Water has a gentle and soothing effect on the body, including other benefits such as stimulating blood circulation to frozen joints and stiff muscles, lowering heart rate, and improving blood pressure. Although you won’t feel any impact in the water, your body is going to work 12 times harder because of the resistance produced by the water. Make sure to listen to your body and don’t overexert yourself!
Knee Arthritis Treatment Near You
If you are trying to ease the pain of your knee arthritis or want to strengthen your muscles to avoid future complications, make an appointment with Dr. Chams. Dr. Chams is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in conditions of the knee and is equipped with the necessary knowledge to help address your arthritis pain. Dr. Chams is here to provide education, treatment, and support for all his patients. Contact us or schedule an appointment at one of our office locations in Illinois and meet our dedicated staff for your knee arthritis treatment today!
