Are you in the spiral of knee pain where it just gets worse & worse? HINT: Break the spiral with these 3 things you must do...
Your knees hurt...
You become afraid of doing things to make them worse...
You become inactive...
Because you are inactive you lose muscle and get weaker..
Because you've lost muscle and are inactive, you gain weight...
Gaining weight and becoming weaker makes your knees hurt worse...
and you have MORE PAIN...
are afraid of activity that makes it worse...
So you stop moving as much, give up activities that you love just to find that the less you move, the more your knee hurts...
Let's stop this crazy cycle!
The key is doing the right kind of movement and strength training.
I put together a free "Save Your Knees Cheetsheet" so you can take the short cut to doing the right kind of movement without fear of more pain. In fact, with these 3 things, you'll likely reduce your pain and start feeling better.
1. GET STRONGER with the right moves...
Knee strength is not just about the knee. Your strength training plan should include exercises that work the 4 areas that affect your knees:
Foot/Ankle/Calf - Weakness here can cause mal-alignment in your knees and that can lead to knee pain!
Knee-Dominant Exercises - These exercises are largely for the muscles that control knee movement, your quadriceps and hamstring groups
Hip-Dominant Exercises - if your hip muscles are weak, that can cause compensations through the knees or low back. Your hip muscles control your thigh movement which attaches to your knee.
Core Dominant - these are the muscles that support your hips and spine and serve as the foundation for your legs (and upper body). A weak core can lead to mal-alignment or compensations in either (or both!) directions.
I include a list of exercises for each area in the Save Your Knees Cheetsheet. Download it for free!
I Know! You might be saying wait a minute, movement is what hurts! But hear this...motion is lotion. Moving your knee the right way is important to maintaining healthy function. Achy knees can feel like a rusty hinge and the less they move the harder it is to move them. There are 3 secrets to moving the right way:
No Impact: Every step you take is magnified through your knee by 2-3 times your body weight. When you run, its 5-9 times and when you jump its 9+ times your body weight. YOUCH! That's why those extra pounds you might be carrying matter. Here are several activities that are no- to low-impact:
- Bicycling (my favorite)
- Rowing (machine)
- Swimming
- Elliptical Machine
NO Weight Bearing: When you are standing your body weight goes
through your knees to your feet and this adds pressure in your knees for
every thing you do. When seated, your body weight is supported by your
butt and that leaves your knees free to move without the extra pressure.
- Bicycling
- Rowing (machine)
- Swimming
No Lateral Movement: Sometimes sided to side movement can bother
your knees. Even in swimming, if you have any looseness in the joint, you
may feel your knee wobble.
- Bicycling
- Rowing Machine
3. BE CONSISTENT and have a Can-DO attitude
In order to get results, you’ve got to do the work consistently. This is a
fix that can last the rest of your life as long as you keep at it. It’s a little
like brushing your teeth; you can’t save it up and you have to brush
regularly to get the results.
Even just 2X per week strength and 2X per
week cycling will start you feeling better. Breaking apart bad habits
and re-learning foundational moves will help you to move easier.
Taking care of your body is something that needs attention and
respect on a consistent basis.
How Often?
For shorter sessions (20-30 minutes), you can combine the strength
and movement sessions on one day. Once you start building in time,
(45-60 min per session) alternate strength and movement days.
GET STRONGER (strength training)
- 2X per week
- Take at least 1 or 2 days between sessions
MOVE MORE (Cardio training cycling, rowing, swimming, elliptical)
- 2X per week
- Take at least 1 day between sessions
- Start with 10 - 20 minutes and work up to 30 minutes or more
- Can alternate cardio training with easier paced walking
CAN-DO ATTITUDE
You CAN make a difference in your knee health. Not only do we believe in you, but more importantly, we want you to believe in yourself. Your attitude and what you say to yourself makes a difference with how things turn out.
I heard a saying once “What you think is where you go” and find that to be so true. If you think you can, you are way more likely to succeed than if you think you can’t. Believing that you can make a difference in your body and in your health is a very powerful part of your own success.
GET THE "SAVE YOUR KNEES CHEETSHEET" HERE!
If you want even more help than the cheetsheet, you'll get complete plans with how-to instructions in my Healthy Knees Books:
- Healthy Knees Cycling
- Healthy Knees Strength
- Healthy Knees Total Knee Replacement - launching on 8/20! (get on our email list for a sweet discount on this book)
Shop for the books right here.
ANDDDD if you want coaching on how to do it all, watch for online Healthy Knees Formula launching in September. Woot Woot! Be sure to get on our email list so you can get in on this program.
I look forward to hearing about your knees!
~Coach Robin
Want to hear more about how to keep your knees healthy?
About the Author
Robin Robertson is a certified ACE Personal Trainer, Functional Aging Specialist, and USA Cycling Coach.
She is an international best selling Author of the Healthy Knees books.
Robin and her husband own and operate Bellingham Training & Tennis Club in Bellingham, WA.
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