My Knees!

[Kameelah_P]

What you are all doing to protect your joints. I love HIIT, but am finding that my knees are taking a beating.   I would love to hear what you are doing to make sure your joints stay in shape!

[MelanieN413]

Hi Kameelah,

I have bilateral osteoarthritis in my knees and both ACL’s are replaced. For me I get dry needled  once a month at a PT office, enjoy gel injections every six months and for squats I stay right at parallel or slight above to decrease my knee wear and tear. Another helpful tip is using a lacrosse ball to loosen/mash your calf, hamstrings, quads and glutes up. It is a love/hate relationship, lol. I also take ice baths a few days a week.

I hope this was helpful.

Best,

Melanie Nystrom

Health and Wellness Coach

[maryjblake]

Rest days! My foot/ankle specialist warned me after some issues that no one’s body should be doing something high impact daily. I mix things up; yoga, flexibility, strength, stretching, aqua, and REST days maybe a gentle walk or a housework if anything at all. Also great shoes designed for what your doing. I like Hoka or Asics Kayano for BODYSTEP (high impact) also making sure to switch my shoes out and get new ones 4-6 months. Listening to my body when I’m just not feeling great as well.

[Kameelah_P]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Will definitely be more mindful to rest and look into some new shoes. 

[ChasidyD]

Focus on strength training the knees and hips. Squats are great for knees!

[jesseglaze]

Hi Kameelah!

Rest is important, and so is strength training with good form! To make sure your knees are supported, work on your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves. Make sure you have good and equal internal and external rotation in your hips and train both movements to keep your hips mobile. Practice jumping with an exercise band below your knees and don’t let your knees fall together—it helps with making sure your glutes are working while you jump so you don’t fall into bad alignment. When in doubt, have a physical therapist or other movement professional watch you perform the movements that bother you—or video tape and watch them yourself! You want your knees and ankles to stay stacked during a jump.

hope this helps!

Jesse G, Doctor of Physical Therapy

[JoanC0]

Do Pilates. There is no stress on the joints while you are working on improving overall body strength, improving flexibility and your posture.

[AnnieD8]

I drink ZYN as a recovery drink.  It’s got a lot of turmeric in it.  It has replaced my need/ desire to take Advil after hard workouts.  I also use a theragun instead of a foam roller.  And yoga, once or twice a week.  Oh - also when I cut out inflamotories from my diet ( such as cows milk) it eased up a lot.  Your body may like many options, or just one to help it feel better after workouts.  Good luck and rest days!

[TishaG5]

I actually do specific joint training, mobility and strength, with Functional Range Conditioning (FRC®). It’s a system of training which strengthens joint end ranges of motion for the acquisition and maintenance of functional mobility, joint resilience, and joint health and longevity.

[jeniferc77]

Are you doing any other workouts besides hiit? If you are on instagram, check out the “knees over toes guy “.  I have used several of their exercises and the absolutely help!

[doctorfitmrs]

I see I'm late to the party, BUT just in case..! I am a physical therapist and performance coach. The way I protect my own knees (8 surgeries on one knee from one injury) and my clients knees is through hip strengthening. The knee is a hinge joint, so it follows wherever the ankle or hip or (un)intentionally putting it. Good strong hips are step one to really protecting the knees long term.

[JillJ57]

Physical Therapist here.The knee is a joint stuck between a foot and ankle and a hip. Knee pain is often a clue that you’re lacking mobility and/ or strength above and below. A lot of women don’t respond well to HIIT esp in peri- and post menopause because increased stress and inflammation. You may respond better to moderate to low impact. I have pretty significant osteo in one knee. Hyalurinic injections help lubricate the joint but you have to use that window of opportunity to build strength th and mobility to make them worthwhile. Hope that helps 🙂

[angelab550]

Hi Kameelah-

I agree that looking into good shoes and stretching/rest/recovery are important. I’d also suggest looking into a Glucosamine + condroitin supplement. They have a few great options at Costco. This suppplement  has been shown to aid with joint damage and prevent joint damage from happening! As someone who has had a number of joint issues, I can attest to the fact that, when taken daily and as directed, definitely helps! Best of luck to you 

Anjee Barber MS, RD/LDN

Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer 

[MariaP2363]

I get a massage once a month! I am lucky that I teach a class called roll and release, which uses trigger balls and foam rollers...so although I have to teach I get to demonstrate a bit which really helps. Rest is my favorite of all...when my body says rest I rest. A double hip replacement and a breast cancer survifer,, teaching fitness and yoga for 42 years...REST!

[MischelleL3]

first of all how old are your shoes? That is usually the first question. I ask my personal training clients, because that seems to be the cause most of the time all the shoes, lose cushion, and if you pronate or supinate too much that will change the stress put on your knee.. And also doing low impact exercises, of course and more effective exercises for your legs like a wall bridge. What  are you doing to alleviate the pain daily? Example : low, inflammatory diet, sleeping well, when you sleep well, the glial cells in your brain take away the inflammation , and stress in your life. Stress  contributes to pain because as you eliminate stressors you eliminate pain. 

[TahraM]

This is a big one for me. Knowing that the loss of estrogen really affects you in the perimenopausal years as far as joint pain. I’ve had ACL surgery and bilateral hip impingement surgery. And I find heavy, lifting, which is so needed, is really doing a number on my hip joints. Things like mountain climbers hurt Burpee’s hurt. And even climbing steep hills on my bike hurts. I’ve decided to find a physical therapist to specializes in menopausal women. And I think I found one! 

[BethD295]

Hi Kameelah_P

I too seem late to the game a bit.

There are some great suggestions already.

But it is super hard to give general advice. Everyone is different and your knee pain may be

due to something completely different than anyone else's, depending on your body and circumstances.

Best suggestion is to seek out a movement professional, Athletic Trainer, Physical Therapist or such and

have an assessment done of your movement patterns, to see where you may be deficient in strength and 

mobility, to find out what specifically YOU need to work on to help YOUR knee pain.

Hope this helps a bit. If you have any questions please let me know!

Cheers!

[Dina1]

I have a bad knee and can no longer do HIIT. Instead I take long walks or hike at medium elevated places. I also do treadmill as I can control the elevation.  That along with strength exercises keep me going. 

[KrisMylifeisful]

Hi Kameelah, I'm a Pilates Instructor and Melt Method instructor for 12 years. I used to suffer with knee and hip pain in my fifties. Since I started doing active recovery methods after each workout, plus I take days off or rotate my activities, I don't have knee or hip pain-:) The best active recovery method I know and love is the Melt Method!! www.melthmethod.com

It has saved me hundreds of dollars in PT and other body work. I still love my massages, but now I go when it suits my pocket book, not because I can't get through my week without it.