Everything we do with our legs needs our knees. Their movement allows the leg to turn, twist and set straight which we generally require for standing, walking, jumping and turning.
The knees absorb a huge amount of pressure with every step — typically one-and-a-half times your body weight. That pressure, plus regular wear and tear, takes a toll over time. Muscles and ligaments get weaker. The knee’s two shock absorbers — pads of cartilage — start to deteriorate. So does the articular cartilage protecting the ends of the leg bones where they meet at the knee. You may be more prone to this deterioration if you are overweight, or if you have a family history of osteoarthritis, or if you’ve had some knee injuries.
The regular wear and tear of daily use of joints and ligament, injury, fracture, overuse and sitting for long hours can cause pain in and around the knee. Lack of physical can actually weaken your knees and increase your chances of osteoporosis.
Knee pain is a common occurrence especially in Older Adults, and it can be quite debilitating, as it is one of the most used and complex joints of the human body.
Lack of exercise actually can make your joints even more painful and stiff. That’s because keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue strong is crucial to maintaining support for your bones. Not exercising weakens those supporting muscles, creating more stress on your joints.
Exercise is one of the most important things you can do for knee pain. The right combination of strengthening and stretching exercises can relieve pain by helping to improve the way the joint moves and functions. These 5 knee pain relief exercises can help to relieve knee pain.
Exercise 1: Sit to Stand – strengthens leg, core, and back muscles. Those muscles are needed to increase mobility and independence as well as improve balance.
Exercise 2: Leg Extension – strengthens the front of the thigh muscle
Exercise 3: Leg cross – Strengthens the knees
Exercise 4: Step Up & Down – Can help stabilize the knee. It strengthens and work all the leg muscles (hips, hamstrings and quads) to keep it strong and flexible.
Exercise 5: Standing Single leg curl – Strengthens the hamstring and improve balance
Health and Fitness Article Category (ezinearticles.com)