Dr Shriram Nene shares 6 measures to ‘age-proof’ your knees

Stay active

*Exercise is great for your knees as long as you are not overdoing it.
*Before you start exercising, get to stretching. It helps increase your range of motion.
*Get into low-impact exercises. Banging things up and down, swimming, cycling, or walking. Dr Nene also recollected that he used to play tennis and run cross-country until it started having an impact on his knees. “Later on, this became an issue and I had to calm down,” said Dr Nene, emphasising that one should exercise caution.
*If you are doing weightlifting, lunges, and calf work, to strengthen your knees and core muscles, slowly ace it.

Warm-up and start slow

Warm up before any activity. “Knees are one part of it. That would include 5-6 minutes of walking or a treadmill. Warm up before you start. For any exercise regimen, start low and build on it. Don’t push,” said Dr Nene.

Prevent injury

*Avoid high-impact activities like jogging, football, and basketball. “When you have constant pounding motion, or certain erratic movements and collisions, the likelihood of injuries is much higher,” said Dr Nene.
*Pay attention to your form while lifting heavy weights. Have someone to watch you.
*If you have issues, wear a knee brace.

Lose weight

According to Dr Nene, the fat content will cause issues. “If you are overweight, particularly on knees, losing weight will take off the pressure on the spinal cord and your knees. Not an easy proposition for any of us. But what we are finding out is that fat itself produces and releases chemicals that promote inflammation and could lead to arthritis. It is not a causal relationship by any means. But there is some suggestion,” he said.

Ensure you warm up (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Select the right footwear

Wrong shoes can only hurt you. “In addition, it affects your posture. For women, high heels put a lot of stress on their legs and knees. Try well-cushioned low heels. Try shoe insert for foot or knee pain,” said Dr Nene.

Improve your posture

“Overtime, bad postures can place abdominal stresses on your joints leading to excess cartilage wear and tear,” said Dr Nene.

Concurring with these observations, Dr Akhilesh Yadav, associate director, orthopaedics and joint replacement, Max Hospital Vaishali said that knee joints can be strained. “It potentially wears down cartilage and raises the chance of getting osteoarthritis over time. This is because activities like running cause the knee joints to repeatedly strike the ground, which can wear down the cartilage,” said Dr Yadav.

Exercises that build the quadriceps and hamstrings, which are the muscles that surround the knees, can increase support and stability, said Dr Yadav. “Maintaining flexibility in the legs, particularly the calf and hip flexor muscles, can also lessen stress on the knees.”

Additionally, choosing shoes with enough cushioning and support might lessen the strain on the knees by absorbing part of the impact pressures. “To reduce the chance of knee injury, consulting with a running coach or physical therapist can offer helpful advice on appropriate running form and customised training plans,” said Dr Yadav.

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