5 Ways to Spare Your Knees This Spring
The weather may not yet have caught up with the calendar but soon you’ll be enjoying
the nice weather…whatever your exercise or activity of choice.
Regardless of what you choose to do for exercise, the activity you do has direct impact on
your knee…either for better or worse. Let Rebalance help you make changes for the
better! Here are 5 ways you can save your knees for the Spring and for the future:
Stretch, stretch, stretch…..your calves. Why is it important to stretch your calves?
One of your calf muscles attaches directly to your knee. When the calf muscle is tight, it
keeps the shin tilting forward. This puts the knee in a slight bend all the time and causes
the quad (thigh) muscle to tense. Why is a tense quad a problem? Go to #2.
Relax you Quads. The tighter your quads, the more upward pressure gets put on the
knee cap increasing inflammation and pain. Pay attention to your quads when you are
standing and try to relax them to take the pressure off your knee. Stretching your calves
will help relax the quads. To understand more, ask a Rebalance therapist.
Get off the Couch and onto the Floor. Sitting with 90 degree angles at our hips and
knees all day shortens our hamstrings and calves. When we sit on the floor, we stretch
joints and muscles into different positions from sitting. See if you can try this for an hour
after dinner and gradually increase the time at night that you spend out of a chair.
Google search some recommendations for chair free sitting postures from Gordon Hewes by typing in “sitting postures and Gordon Hewes.”
Avoid the knee extension machine which puts excessive stress on the knee.
Avoid wearing heeled shoes whenever possible to help lengthen your calves and relax
your quads.
All of these tips are a great start to reduce loads on your knees but if you already have
knee pain, you will need more specific recommendations. Call Rebalance for a
complimentary phone consultation to see how we can help.
Stephanie Muntzer
