Knee Injuries and Fitness

Your knee is one of those areas of the body that can easily be hurt. And many times, it is an over abused joint that does hurt as you age or if you are in a highly active lifestyle. So, having a knee injury is not something that is unique...in fact, most people have had them at one time or another over the years. However, how does a knee injury affect your fitness? Does it mean no workouts? Does it mean altering your workouts? These are all good questions and for the sake of your health, you want to be clear on what you should be doing.

Should I Exercise if My Knee Hurts?

If your knee hurts, then exercise at your own pace. What does this mean? This means that if the pain is beyond anything that you have experienced before, then you are going to want to make sure that you have a physician check this out beforehand. However, if you know that you just overused your knee in the past, then take it easy and never do any exercise that makes knee pain worse or it makes you uncomfortable.

What is the Best Exercise for a Knee Injury?

For a knee injury, the best type of exercises is going to be those that are low impact. For example, for those who like to run, they may find that an elliptical machine is going to help them still get in that cardio that they want, without adding further stress to the knee joint. In addition, swimming can be a great exercise for anyone with a knee injury. In fact, being in the water can actually make your knee feel even better.

What Exercises Should You Not Do With Bad Knees?

If you do have bad knees and these are an issue when you are working out, then you want to be sure that you are avoiding some types of exercises. For example, any lifting that requires using your back and thighs can often make your knees hurt worse. Running on pavement or the treadmill can jar your knee and if this is already hurt, it can make the pain ten times worse. Any type of full body exercise that has you jumping, squatting or the like is going to add pain to an already tender part of your body. Be careful with what you do and if you feel pain, then stop.