Everything has a lifespan, be it your car or your body. The way you maintain it is a crucial factor to increase or decrease its lifespan. These days’ knees seem to have a much shorter life span with knee replacements coming into trend. So is it our lifestyle and lack of maintenance that is forcing people to give up their original knees? Are you going on the same road?

ARE YOU KILLING YOUR KNEES?

Follow these simple tips and be nice to your knees.

  1. MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT

It is recommended by all type of specialists to keep your weight within normal BMI ranges to prevent many obesity related issues. But for knees, every extra pound you carry adds up to 3 pounds of pressure on your knees while walking, 4 pounds while climbing stairs and 10 pounds when you run!! Therefore, ensure to maintain your BMI within the normal levels.

  

    2. EXERCISE
  • Are you thinking of electing going up and down those metro station stairs to be fit and lose those extra pounds?Think again! Did you know if you weigh 68 kgs, you put your knees through a weight of 272 kgs, while climbing stairs.
  • Thought of walking down to metro station for fitness? Well, walking on hard asphalt and concrete surfaces or uneven stony surfaces not only puts more strain on your knees but also increases chances of your tripping over.
  • Next? Gymming? Those squats and lunges wear your knees too if not done correctly.
Then what to do?
  • Low impact activities like yoga, biking, swimming, and strength training exercises.
  • A study reveals that a small 20 – 25 % increase in quadriceps strength (which is main muscle for your knee actions) can lead to 20 – 30 % decrease in chance of developing knee arthritis.
  • Walking is also good for knees, but should not be done on hard and uneven surfaces.
  • Make sure you wear right kind of shoes, as shoes that cause body weight to be unevenly distributed, place extra stress on your knees. For those with flat feet or high arched feet need to have customized shoes as per their condition.



   3. CORRECT YOUR ALIGNMENT
Just as driving a car when the wheels are out of alignment causes the tires to wear irregularly, same principle holds true for your body. If your body is not properly aligned, your muscles, joints and ligaments take more strain than they are able to endure healthfully. A physio can help you assess your biomechanics and teach you proper standing, sitting, walking, running and lifting techniques that can help spare your joints from extra wear and tear.


Arthritis of the knee is common, but it is not necessarily an inevitable consequence of ageing. Taking care of your knees now will cost you a lot less time and effort than rehabilitating them down the road. Follow these three simple tips and make your knees proud of you or vice versa ;) Happy healing !