How to Take Care of Your Knees if You are Athletic?

From jumping to changing positions, straightening to putting abrupt stress, athletes use their knees in various ways to meet the demand of sport. Hence, sportspersons, athletes and those involved in rigorous physical activities are at greater risk of injuries and damage to the knees. When knees are in good shape and form, it will definitely improve the performance quotient. Athletes need to prevent knee injuries, in order to maintain good health and continue with their sport. It is important to know how to take care of your knees if you are athletic.

It is necessary to seek medical opinion regarding the health, activity level and specific requirement of the sport before getting involved. For those who have previously injured knee joint, it is better to get into a recommended exercise program after receiving required treatment for knee injury.

Here are some tips for an athletic person to help take good care of their knees, prevent injuries or knee pain and maintain good health.

Performing regular exercise, helps to strengthen the muscles around the knees, the quadriceps and hamstrings.¹ Specific exercises and strength training can help to build those muscles, which play an important role in maintaining the strength of legs when playing sports. The resistance training sessions such as squats, lunges and hamstring curls help a great deal in keeping muscles strong. A proper exercise regimen must be planned with the help of sports fitness experts or sports physical therapist to take care of your knees, when you are very athletic.

Post practice stretching of muscles is essential to keep the muscles of the knee flexible and supple. Regular stretching program or some yoga moves can help in maintaining muscles flexible. Exercises that require to hold the position for few seconds, help to stretch as well as relax the strained muscles. Simple stretches like standing and pulling one leg up towards the hips also helps to improve flexibility of the knee muscles and prevent knee injury in an athletic person.

When there is excessive running, walking or weight lifting, the knees get strained a lot. It may be good to engage in swimming and yoga, which are other alternatives to enhance flexibility of knees and prevent knee injuries if you are athletic. High impact exercises usually put more stress on the knees. Light exercises or low impact exercises like swimming, aqua aerobics or yoga can be beneficial for the knees. Practicing a combination of exercises is a great way to maintain the strength as well as flexibility of the knees to prevent injuries.

Athletes often forget about how to land properly. Improper landing may cause major injuries to the knees. It is important to learn to practice proper landing techniques to take care of knees when you are very athletic. Proper landing is on the heels where knees are bent slightly and the weight will be distributed uniformly across the feet. This technique is not easy to develop and you need to practice the same again and again to be able to maintain the same landing posture during sports. Proper landing techniques are of great importance to prevent injuries and are much needed to take care of your knees if you are athletic.

When proper athletic shoes are worn they leave little stress on knees. It is mandatory to wear well cushioned, well fitting shoes which are recommended and certified. Good athletic shoes are a great way to absorb the shocks and protect the knees from injuries. These shoes are more supportive than those common shoes worn regularly. In order to take care of your knees when you are very athletic, it is important that you invest in good athletic shoes, with an expert advice.

Doing exercise and maintaining routine is important, but giving knees some rest is also mandatory. It helps the muscles to perk up and gain strength. Tough athletic movements often exert much stress on the knees that can even cause pain when walking. Exercise and rest and then again exercise can protect the knee from any sudden injury. In order to rest properly, you can elevate the feet to reduce the inflammation and control pain or swelling, if any. Additionally, adequate rest at regular intervals and a good night’s sleep are essential factors when taking care of your knees.

Sports activities and exercises cause strain on the knee joint. If appropriate, applying ice packs on the strained area or around the knee can help to protect the knee joint and its surrounding structures. Ice helps to control the inflammation and can prevent injuries, swelling or pain that can be caused after practice sessions or sports activities.

Another effective way is to have non-adhesive compression wrap fastened around the knees. Braces and compression bandages can support the knee and prevent it from injury and damage. Wrap helps knees functioning in proper appropriate alignment with leg. But the compression wrap should not be wrapped too tightly nor should it be used when sleeping, to avoid affecting the blood circulation in the area. This can be done with appropriate medical advice to take care of your knees when you are very athletic.

Athletes tend to grow weight when they take leave from sports, but when again they come back they try to lose the same. Extra weight puts extra pressure on knees, causing tension on the joints especially on the knee. Even slight increase in weight can exert much extra weight on knees. Losing few pounds make a big difference. When fat accumulates around the knee area it snatches away flexibility. Hence, it is equally important to follow a healthy diet and maintain or lose weight to take care of your knees.

Many people pay little or no attention to their knee pain, especially when they first experience it. Knee pain is something which can go on if it is left untreated. If the pain is diagnosed early it should be treated right away or else it can become severe while practicing game. If you experience knee pain, it is important to seek medical opinion. Athletes are more prone to knee injuries and can also be prone to osteoarthritis if knee pain is ignored. Proper evaluation at the tight time can help to protect the knee from further damage.

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