If your knees make you suffer, do not think that sports practice is a luxury of the past in your life. There are certain disciplines that can even help you reduce discomfort and treat the pathology that generates them.
If knee pain appears, we must be careful what we do. Otherwise, a few discomfort can turn into a more serious problem. Although it may seem contradictory, there are certain sports that we can practice to improve knee discomfort.
Next, we are going to see some of the sports that we can practice if we begin to notice those uncomfortable discomforts. Considering your practice can be very positive, although prior approval from a healthcare professional will always be required.
How to improve knee discomfort with sports
Knee discomfort can have a large number of causes. These range from lack of exercise to excess of it, also going through poor posture or even structural problems.
What we are looking for with the exercises described below is to strengthen all the muscles of the lower limb without compressing the knee. In other words, we are looking for low-impact exercises.
To understand this concept well, the opposite example would be jumping. With this movement, we work the muscles a little and when we fall, the joint is compressed sharply. Well, what we are looking for is to do just the opposite: a lot of muscle work and the least possible joint effort.
1. Walk
The simple act of walking is ideal for a large number of body structures. In this case, we work the posture and all the muscles of both the lower limb and the spine. In addition, we do it while the knee is compressed in a gentle and controlled way.
Generally, the only people who walk a healthy distance each day are those whose job requires them to do so. The rest, on the other hand, must be aware of the importance of walking.
2. Exercise in the water
Play sports in the water it is good if our joints hurt because the body enters a state similar to weightlessness. That is, the compression of the knees is minimal in the vast majority of exercises that we can perform in this environment.
While the clearest example is swimming, disciplines such as aquagym are also included in this section. In fact, this second option is safer, since as soon as we make an incorrect gesture, a study published in the Digital Journal of Research in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences show that swimming can cause knee disease.
3. Cycling
Riding a bike is another way to strengthen muscles without compressing the joint. In this case, we never get to put the weight on the lower limbs. The legs work and work, but the joint is never compressed. This is why cycling is a very good option.
4. Specific exercises
Another way of practicing sports to improve knee discomfort is do specific exercises for the leg muscles. We talk about squats – well done – or putting a weight on our ankles and, sitting down, stretching the leg.
We can also lie down and lift the leg straight or make the gesture of cycling in the air. In general, it is about finding exercises that, again, work the muscles without excessively compressing the joint.
5. Pilates, yoga or tai chi
These 3 disciplines are based on placing ourselves in certain positions and maintaining them. Thus, as long as we eliminate postures that force us to lean on the leg that hurts, they will also be a good option.
In addition, when practicing them we will also strengthen the core a lot, that is, the middle area that includes the muscles that give stability to the body. This can also help with knee discomfort. In fact, there are studies that show the benefits of Pilates to cure knee pathologies, such as one published by the National University of La Plata.
6. Aerobic work with machines in the gym
Finally, if we are in a gym, we can use several machines to work correctly. We are talking about devices such as the elliptical or the exercise bike.
As for the elliptical, by having the foot constantly supported, we are not giving compression blows. The joint is compressed and decompressed, but very gently. That is why it is often recommended for overweight people to do aerobic exercise without compromising the hip, knee and ankle joints.
A wide variety of options
With all of the above, it is clear that if we want knee discomfort to improve, we have a wide range of possibilities. It’s worth it emphasize the importance of having a correct sporting gesture for all of them. Even when it comes to walking, knowing if we are walking correctly – looking at factors such as footfall or the alignment of the lower limbs – is a great advantage.
If you have discomfort, it is worth doing several of the above exercises every day. You will likely notice improvement, as the muscles take over the weight of the joint. Anyway, If you see that it does not improve or even worse, you should go to the doctor for an assessment, as it may be a more serious problem.