Knee joints are the largest joints in your body, and because of that, they are more prone to injuries. You can face fractures, dislocations, and muscle tears if you’ve overused your knees or are above a healthy weight. That’s why it’s important to avoid overusing your knees at the gym. You must take measures to keep them protected for your workout. Read more on how to protect your knees during exercise below.
Stretch and Warm up Effectively
Exercising with stiff muscles due to poor warmups can lead to joint pain. You should make sure that you stretch and warm up effectively. The simple movements will prep your body for more intense physical activity. It will get your muscles and joints ready for the workout.
Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking water before and after your workout is critical for a variety of reasons—one of them being joint lubrication. When you drink adequate water for your workout, your joints can move more freely and your knees are less likely to get injured.
Vary Your Exercises
Working out the same muscles daily is not only counterproductive, but it can lead to injuries. Knees tend to become weakened by overuse and heavy impact. You should avoid following a day of lunges, plyometrics, or the stair stepper with another day of the same activities. The constant 90-degree angle you make with your knees will wear them out if you don’t give them some rest.
Choose the Right Activities
Another part of how to protect your knees during exercise is recognizing what they can handle. If you have knee problems or are not at a healthy weight, don’t do high-impact activities like jogging. There are many low-impact aerobic exercises you can do instead, such as swimming, riding a bike, cross-country skiing, and using an elliptical machine.
Build Muscle Around Knee Joints
Lifting weights, doing squats, and dead lifting are good for the knees when done right. Doing them wrong or using more weight than you’re able creates risks. Get your form down perfectly to actually help your knees. It will build muscle around the joint so when you walk around, your joints take less of the impact.
