The most complicated and the biggest joint in the body is the knee. The knee supports the total body weight. The knee joint has a complex design and is more susceptible to acute injury and osteoarthritis.
People who play lot of sports are more likely to suffer from knee injuries. Injury may affect the cartilage, bursae, menisci, ligaments, tendons and bones forming joints. Outdoor running is the main cause for many knee injuries but offers you good feeling of wind and great health benefits.
Avoid knee pain and injuries due to running by following some rules:
Use good quality shoes:
Good quality shoes are those which provide maximum comfort and have cushioning. During running, a friction is produced which is passed from foot to the knee and effects the joints. The sponge present in the shoes absorbs the friction and do not pass it. Replace your old shoes with new one for every 500 miles or 800 kilometers to avoid knee pain or injuries.
Reduce stress on knees:
Regular running and exercises helps you to maintain healthy weight and thus reduces the stress on knees. According to medical research, staying slim helps to reduce osteoarthritis and a number of knee injuries like – ligaments and tendon injuries etc,.
Warm up:
Before you start any exercise, first warm up and do stretches for a few minutes. This helps to reduce tension on your tendons and relieve pressure on knees.
Increase slowly:
It is important to increase your workout slowly to avoid stress and strain on your knees, which may lead to injury. It is recommended to increase only 5 to10% to your running and other activities.
Do not decrease your activities:
At once, do not reduce you intensity of work out, as it leads to weakness and stress.
Do stretching exercises:
This is a type of motion exercises to improve your flexibility. This helps your knees to function more effectively and to reduce strain. Runners do stretching regularly to avoid injuries. Do not start with stretching before you run but first warm up your body and then do stretching. This helps to reduce strain on your muscles and knees.
The above rules helps you to avoid strain, stress and injuries for the better knee health benefits.
